Lessons in leadership from Britain's Best Boss- A Chat with Chris Brindley

Taking Care of Business

How do you build a team that is on board and striving to achieve the best possible results?
This week Paul Cheetham-Karcz speaks to Britain's Best Boss, Chris Brindley. They discuss his leadership style and how he does things differently. He also looks back at some of his proudest achievements throughout his career, such as winning the "Britain's Best Boss" award and his time as MD at Metro Bank, the first new high street bank to launch in the United Kingdom in over 150 years.
Chris goes on to talk about how he transitioned from working in finance for the likes of NatWest to working in the energy sector for British Gas to becoming chair of the Rugby League World Cup.
In this episode:
00:50 - Britain's Best Boss award
05:15 - How do you deal with difficult team members?
08:20 - Chris' desire to be the best and setting standards for others
11:05 - Understanding what motivates your team members, and becoming a coach
12:03 - John Whitmore's model of G-R-O-W
14:07 - R-I-C-E-S model
18:10 - Importance of people skills
23:40 - Preparing team members for higher positions
25:00 - The influence you have on other people in your life
28:35 - Chris' aspirations after school
30:55 - Starting a leadership role at NatWest
31:50 - Greatest achievement at NatWest
33:20 - Transferring his leadership skills and reinventing himself at British Gas
40:45 - Prevention not cure - Having conversations with team members quickly
42:37 - Hiring for Metro Bank
45:00 - How Chris was approached to work at Metro Bank
48:45 - Keeping Metro Bank open on Sundays and bank holidays - putting customers first
51:14 - Why leave Metro Bank?
51:40 - Involvement with sport
53:30 - Becoming chair of the Rugby League World Cup
55:00 - What's next for Chris after the Rugby League World Cup in December?