Great Leaders Are the Support Act: Culture, Trust and Preventing Burnout | Steve Tolton

Send us Fan MailYour company culture is not the collection of values written on the wall.It is what your people experience through the decisions you make, the behaviour you tolerate and the way you lead them every day.In this episode, Peter Boolkah speaks with Steve Tolton, founder and managing director of Fuel Integrated, about building a genuinely people-centred business.Steve explains why he sees himself as the tour manager rather than the rock star. His job as a leader is to support talented people, create the right environment and ensure they have what they need to perform at their best.That includes actively discouraging the long hours and all-nighters often glorified within the creative industry.Steve also discusses the difficult parts of entrepreneurship that successful owners frequently leave out: daily risk, family pressures, choosing the wrong business partners, difficult people decisions and the responsibility that comes with employing others.You’ll discover:Why culture must be lived rather than displayedHow Fuel uses the same brand book internally and externallyWhy creativity, service and wellness must work togetherThe connection between employee well-being and great customer serviceWhy trust and respect must be earned by leadersHow founders can support people without surrendering leadershipWhy protecting employees from burnout is good businessThe importance of hiring people who align with your cultureHow reading and continuous education improve business performanceWhy Steve gives employees dedicated development timeThe three things he would do differently if starting againWhy founders need to become architects of the businessThis conversation offers a practical alternative to the founder-as-hero model.A strong business is not built by exhausting the founder and everyone around them. It is built by creating an environment in which capable people can learn, perform and grow without sacrificing their well-being.CONNECT WITH PETER BOOLKAHWebsite: https://www.boolkah.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boolkahInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pboolkah/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoolkahX: https://twitter.com/boolkahABOUT PETER BOOLKAHPeter Boolkah is a business coach, author and speaker who has spent more than 20 years helping business owners build stronger, more valuable businesses that do not depend on them for everything.He is the creator of The Hamster Wheel Trap® and author of Your Business Sucks: Build a Business That Works Without Destroying Your Life.Peter works with founders and leadership teams on the issues that ultimately determine whether a business creates freedom or becomes another job: leadership, founder dependency, people, profit, execution, scaling, exit readiness and enterprise value.His approach is direct, practical and built around one simple question:Do you own the business, or does the business own you?Learn more at https://www.boolkah.com