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How to Lead with Kate Waterfall Hill

How to Lead with Kate Waterfall Hill

By: Kate Waterfall Hill
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How to Lead is the go-to podcast for CEOs, founders, business owners, and leaders who want to strike the perfect balance between authority and empathy. I’m Kate Waterfall Hill - leadership coach, author, and creator of Linda, the bad manager, my alter ego who shows us how not to lead. With over 30 years’ experience working with and coaching CEOs and founders (and being one myself), I’ve helped hundreds of leaders elevate their skills and confidence. In each episode, I’ll share simple, actionable tips and habits to take the stress out of people management. Every episode starts with Linda’s “what not to do” moment, followed by practical insights on how to handle leadership challenges with finesse. You’ll find How to Lead on all major podcast platforms, plus video episodes on YouTube. My best-selling book, How to Lead, is also a great companion to the show. Subscribe or follow so you don’t miss an episode, and if you enjoy it, please rate, review, and share with fellow leaders. For coaching programmes or my self-paced Digital Academy, visit www.waterfallhill.co.uk. Got a topic suggestion? Email me at hello@waterfallhill.co.uk. Follow me on all major social platforms - just search Kate Waterfall Hill or Linda, the bad manager, and join a community of over 300,000 leaders.Copyright 2026 Kate Waterfall Hill Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Why your voice isn't being heard: Part 3: Speaking With Authority in Senior Meetings

    Why your voice isn't being heard: Part 3: Speaking With Authority in Senior Meetings
    Oct 8 2026

    In part three of this mini-series on building influence, Kate explores why some contributions carry weight in senior meetings while others are easily overlooked. She unpacks four common communication patterns that can unintentionally undermine your authority, and explains what senior rooms tend to respond to instead.

    From arriving with a clear point to resisting the urge to over-explain or soften your message, Kate shares practical ways to communicate with greater clarity and confidence, helping your ideas land and your voice carry more influence.

    Episode Highlights:

    00:00 Speaking With Authority

    00:18 Series Context And Host

    01:24 Meeting Skit Alice Vs Linda

    02:18 Why Good Ideas Get Ignored

    03:12 Pattern One Speaking To Think

    04:27 Pattern Two Over Explaining

    05:58 Pattern Three Stop Softening

    07:00 Pattern Four Timing And Reading

    07:41 How Seniors Judge You Fast

    08:21 What The Room Needs Now

    08:52 Three Practical Shifts

    09:23 Wrap Up And Call To Action

    Useful links:

    The Digital Academy Online Course

    Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes

    Buy the "How to Lead" book

    Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

    Follow Kate on TikTok

    Contact Kate

    https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
  • Why your voice isn't being heard: Part 2: Commercial Acumen - The Key Leadership Skill that Elevates your Influence

    Why your voice isn't being heard: Part 2: Commercial Acumen - The Key Leadership Skill that Elevates your Influence
    Sep 24 2026

    Commercial acumen, and why it's one of the clearest signals of leadership maturity, regardless of your job title. In today's episode Kate contrasts delivery-focused reactions with commercially aware questions about margin, scope, capacity, and trade-offs. She argues leaders gain influence when they speak from sustainability, not just enthusiasm or helpfulness, and encourages shifting from how work feels to what it costs and risks.

    Episode Highlights:

    00:00 Why Commercial Acumen Matters

    01:24 The Linda Scenario

    02:05 Connecting Action to Consequence

    03:12 Everyday Commercial Questions

    04:51 Influence Through Trade Offs

    05:39 Speak in Costs and Risks

    06:59 Five Ways to Practice

    09:53 Build Authority With Numbers

    11:01 Final Thought and Wrap Up

    Useful links:

    The Digital Academy Online Course

    Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes

    Buy the "How to Lead" book

    Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

    Follow Kate on TikTok

    Contact Kate

    https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Why your voice isn't being heard: Part 1 The Hidden Cost of Being the Helpful Leader

    Why your voice isn't being heard: Part 1 The Hidden Cost of Being the Helpful Leader
    Sep 10 2026

    Kate explains how “helpful” leadership - being constantly responsive, stepping in to fix issues, and smoothing problems - can undermine a leader’s influence and a team’s growth. A seven-day checklist includes tracking rescues, delaying intervention with a coaching question, setting one boundary, letting one item go at 90%, and debriefing without taking over, leading to better decisions, stronger confidence, and regained strategic capacity.

    Episode Highlights:

    00:00 Hidden Cost Teaser

    00:34 Show Intro

    01:14 Linda and Jason Skit

    01:53 Why Helpfulness Backfires

    03:18 Commercial and Margin Drain

    04:43 Identity and Indispensable Trap

    05:39 Credibility and Dependence Signals

    07:42 Redefine Helpful Coaching

    09:09 Seven Day Checklist

    10:49 Results and Closing Thoughts

    12:09 Outro and Call to Action

    Useful links:

    The Digital Academy Online Course

    Free Resources and more information on Kate's coaching programmes

    Buy the "How to Lead" book

    Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

    Follow Kate on TikTok

    Contact Kate

    https://www.waterfallhill.co.uk/links
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
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if you perhaps need seen, to guage your own biases, and even improve others around you, then Kate delivers. In many instances she'll have you laughing, dropping everything to focus on her insight, and often revisiting very considerate strategy. A must have podcast for that daily commute or volunteer role.

Relatable, Empathetic and Hugely Reassuring

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