#3 Les Murray, Director at 20-20 Management Ltd: Navigating Leadership Challenges

Introduction to the Guest

Les Murray is a scaleup consultant, executive coach, and leadership team facilitator with over 30 years of experience partnering with CEOs, MDs, and business owners. He helps them achieve clarity on vision and strategy, sharpen organizational structure and operating culture, and develop senior teams. Murray's work focuses on designing strategy and execution, building senior teams, and inspiring leaders. He has worked with over 30 clients at FTSE 250 Board level, including Boots, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, AstraZeneca, Caterpillar, and Rolls-Royce. Murray is also the author of "Lighting the Blue Touch Paper," a book scheduled for release on November 25, 2025, which focuses on how business leaders of scaleups can ignite the energy, clarity, and performance of their senior leadership team.

Summary

In this conversation, Les Murray discusses the importance of team culture, leadership, and organizational health. He emphasizes the need for clarity of purpose, trust, and effective communication within teams. Murray introduces the concepts of 'sowers', 'growers', and 'mowers' to describe different team roles and their fit within various growth stages. He also highlights the significance of radical candor in fostering honest feedback and the dangers of self-sabotage in leadership. The discussion concludes with insights into personal and professional growth, including the importance of building relationships and understanding team dynamics.

Takeaways

• Team culture is defined by shared behaviors and communication patterns.

• High-pressure situations reveal the true dynamics of team culture.

• Clarity of purpose and defined roles are essential for team success.

• Different team roles (sowers, growers, mowers) are needed at various growth stages.

• Trust and communication are foundational for effective teamwork.

• Investing time in team relationships leads to better outcomes.

• Radical candor fosters an environment of honest feedback.

• Self-sabotage often stems from short-term thinking and ego.

• Curiosity and inquiry can help leaders avoid self-sabotage.

• Building a strong team culture requires proactive investment in human connections.