🎙️ Welcome to Leadership That Sells!

If you’ve been listening for a while, you’ll notice something’s changed—this podcast has a new name and a sharper focus. We’re now Leadership That Sells, a show dedicated to helping sales managers lead with confidence, drive performance, and unlock their team’s full potential.

Why the shift? After working with sales managers, revenue leaders, and business development pros, it’s clear that great selling doesn’t automatically mean great leadership—yet most new sales managers get little to no leadership training. In a world where AI is changing the sales game, leading people is the real differentiator. Sales leadership is one of the most overlooked yet powerful levers for business growth.

In this episode, I break down: ✅ Why the podcast is evolving and what you can expect going forward ✅ The critical skills sales managers need to lead and inspire performance ✅ Upcoming episodes covering feedback, coaching, accountability, and more ✅ How you can develop your leadership skills—whether through self-paced learning, live cohorts, or exclusive masterclasses

👉 Want to lead with confidence and drive better results? Check out The Leadership That Sells Playbook at https://practical-leadership.academy with self-paced courses, live cohorts, and exclusive masterclasses, there’s an option that fits.

🎧 Hit play and let’s dive in.

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Curtis, founder of several successful recruitment and investment businesses. Joe shares his journey of transitioning from recruitment into entrepreneurship, building a business with a clear vision, and recruiting the right people to help that vision come to life.

• Starting from scratch: Joe details how he launched his first business in marketing recruitment, 11 Investments, and Recruiter Lab, and the key decisions that helped him scale.
• The importance of vision in recruitment: Joe explains how telling a compelling story about where the business is going—rather than focusing on where it is—was crucial to attract top talent, even when they were just starting out.
• Building an attractive employer brand: Learn how Joe’s businesses developed a strong Glassdoor presence, secured positive Google reviews, and won the Sunday Times Best Place to Work to solidify their reputation and attract talent.
• Hiring based on values: Joe shares how they assess potential hires not just for their skill but for their alignment with the company's values—bravery, growth, kindness, and belonging. They believe in creating an environment where people feel they belong.
• Why recruitment never stops: Joe reveals that his primary role is recruiting for his own businesses, meeting up to 20 potential hires a week. He stresses the importance of founders staying involved in the recruitment process, even as the business grows.
• The long-term approach to talent acquisition: Joe explains the importance of being transparent about company culture and ensuring that potential hires know what to expect before joining. His approach mitigates high attrition rates typical in the recruitment industry.

• “You’ve got to build the vision and this story for people to come along the ride with you.” — Joe Curtis [00:10:54]
• “We are nothing without the people that we hire—literally. There's no business without them.” — Joe Curtis [00:24:11]
• “Doing business in a kind way will pay back in dividends over time.” — Joe Curtis [00:27:51]

• Create a compelling story for your business: When hiring, don't just sell the present state of your company. Sell the future. Show candidates what role they can play in building something great.
• Hire based on values, not just skills: To build a successful company culture, focus on hiring people who align with your company's values. Skills can be taught; values are much harder to instill.
• Stay involved in recruitment: As your business grows, it’s easy for founders to step back from the recruitment process. But Joe’s approach shows that staying involved helps ensure you hire the best people, who align with your vision.

Catch the full episode to hear more from Joe Curtis on building vision, leading with kindness, and recruiting the right people to make it all happen!

In this insightful episode of the Practical Leadership Podcast, Paul Morton sits down with Stan Slovin, wealth management veteran, rock musician, and author of Better Listening. Together, they explore why active listening is a critical, often overlooked skill in both professional and personal settings, and how mastering it can transform your relationships, leadership style, and career success.

• Listening to Respond vs. Listening to Understand We’re all guilty of it—waiting for the other person to stop talking so we can jump in with our “brilliant” point. But Stan reveals the real power lies in listening to understand. When you let people empty their bucket, you move from surface conversations to meaningful dialogue.
• The Art of Pausing and Reflecting Want to become a better leader? Try pausing before you respond, reflect on what the other person is really saying, and practice empathetic listening. This small change can turn any interaction into a more collaborative, effective conversation.
• Hijacking Conversations and How to Avoid It Stan shares some humorous yet painful truths about how we often hijack conversations. His advice? Pause, reflect, and let the other person talk—they might have something crucial to share.
• Active Listening as a Leadership Superpower When leaders actively listen, they can create more impactful connections with their teams, clients, and even family members. Stan’s tips on how to combine active listening with empathy will help you build stronger, more collaborative relationships.

• 00:05:23 – "We’re not listening to understand, we’re listening to respond." Stan explains how this mindset is detrimental to both professional and personal interactions.
• 00:07:11 – "It’s not just about hearing the words; it’s about listening for the feelings." This insight reveals the deeper layer of effective communication.
• 00:16:00 – "People leave companies because they don’t feel heard." Stan points out that a lack of listening is a top reason for employee disengagement and turnover.
• 00:16:57 – "Thank you for finally listening to me." A heartwarming story where a CEO applies Stan's techniques and gets this response from his daughter.

• [00:01:00] Introduction to Listening and Leadership Paul and Stan dive into the critical role that listening plays in effective leadership and how we often fail to do it well.
• [00:06:00] The Power of Pausing Before Responding Stan shares practical strategies for leaders to pause and reflect during conversations, creating space for better understanding.
• [00:16:30] Real-Life Examples of Better Listening From personal to professional contexts, Stan provides examples where improving listening led to stronger connections and more productive outcomes.
• [00:28:30] Practical Tips for Active Listening Learn the tools you need to become an active listener, from mirroring and summarising to pausing and reflecting.

1. Pause Before You Speak Take two seconds to reflect on what’s been said before responding. This gives you time to think and shows the other person you care.
2. Reflect Back and Clarify Use phrases like “Tell me more,” or “Help me understand” to encourage deeper dialogue.
3. Practice Empathy Empathy in listening goes beyond hearing words—listen for feelings and context.

Stan Slovin’s approach to better listening isn’t just about improving business relationships. It’s about enhancing every conversation you have, making you a more empathetic, understanding, and impactful leader.

To learn more from Stan and unlock the full power of listening, check out his book Better Listening, now available on Amazon!

https://www.betterlisteningbook.com/