What will really challenge business leaders in 2026? We asked AI to analyse the landscape ahead and identify the biggest pressures facing entrepreneurs and leadership teams over the next year. In this episode, we break down the six challenges that consistently rise to the top and, more importantly, how you should respond to them.

We cover:

- Economic uncertainty and its impact on decision-making

- Skilled employee shortages and talent retention

- Resistance to AI and digital transformation

- Cybersecurity and data privacy risks

- Leadership burnout and wellbeing pressures

- Sustainability and net zero expectations

This isn’t theory. It’s a practical conversation about where businesses are most vulnerable, where opportunities are being overlooked, and how leaders can make more informed decisions heading into 2026.

If you’re a founder, business owner, or senior leader planning for the year ahead, this episode will help you think more clearly about priorities, risk, and where to focus your time and energy.

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#AI #ArtificialIntellience #BusinessPlan #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #Leaders #CEO

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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

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Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To learn more, please visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

Most businesses believe growth comes from more leads, more sales activity, and more pipeline. In reality, many are leaking value long before any new customer ever needs to be found.

In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, we explore why customer management is one of the most overlooked drivers of sustainable business growth and why focusing purely on sales often creates more problems than it solves.

I’m joined by Yemi Oluseun, business leader, LinkedIn strategist and client retention expert, currently Integration and Transformation Programme Director at The Change Hive.

Yemi brings experience from organisations including Barclays and J.P. Morgan, alongside years of working with businesses on customer experience, strategy and long-term value creation.

Together, we unpack what it really means to manage customers through their eyes, not just from inside the business. We talk about why many companies do not need more leads at all, but instead need to fix the gaps in how they retain, serve and grow their existing customers.

The conversation covers the foundations of effective customer management, including the role of values, clarity, and consistency, how to think properly about the customer journey, and why strategy only works when it connects to real customer experience.

We also explore practical examples of customer management approaches that have delivered tangible results, and how leaders can build frameworks that support loyalty rather than churn.

If you are a business owner, founder, or leader trying to scale, this episode is a reminder of a simple truth that is easy to forget. Without customers, there is no business. And without the right customer management strategy, growth will always be harder than it needs to be.

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#CustomerRetention #ClientRetention #CustomerService #CustomerManagement #BusinessPlan #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategy #GoalSetting #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #GrowYourBusiness #Leaders #CEO

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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

----------

Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To find out more, visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

Most business plans are written once, filed away, and quietly forgotten. That’s usually where the problems begin.

Markets change. Competitors adapt. Technology moves faster than expected. And before long, the plan you’re working on no longer reflects the business you’re actually running.

In this episode of the Leaders in Strategy podcast, we explore why reviewing your business plan is not a tick-box exercise but a strategic necessity for business leaders. January is the ideal time to take stock, reflect on the past year, and assess whether your decisions are still aligned with where the business is meant to be heading.

We break down what a business plan is really for, how often it should be reviewed, and what leaders should be looking for when they do. From understanding what worked and what didn’t, to positioning performance against your numbers and testing whether you’re genuinely moving closer to your goals, this episode focuses on turning reflection into action.

If you’re a business owner, founder, or leader who wants clarity, focus, and momentum in the year ahead, this episode will help you approach your business plan in a far more practical and useful way.

👉 Subscribe to the Leaders in Strategy YouTube channel for more insightful discussions and expert advice for business leaders!

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#BusinessPlan #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #NewYearGoals #entrepreneurs #ConfidenceBuilding #BusinessStrategy #GoalSetting #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #GrowYourBusiness #Leaders #CEO

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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

----------

Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To find out more, visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

Join us for a special New Year episode of the Leaders and Strategy podcast, where we dive into hopes, aspirations, and bold visions for 2026! 🎉

In this episode, host Mike Harris is joined by award-winning business leaders Sian Brennan and Jeevan Punj as they discuss their New Year's resolutions, leadership lessons from the past year, and the importance of confidence and collaboration in business.

🎆 Discover how to turn your hopes into tangible results and what success looks like for business leaders in the coming year. Whether you're a small business owner or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.

🎇 Don't miss out on valuable tips for setting goals, building confidence, and fostering collaboration in your business journey. Tune in now and start the year off right!

📅 Episode Highlights:

- Personal reflections on New Year's resolutions and goal setting

- The significance of confidence in leadership

- Strategies for collaboration over competition

- Messages of hope for entrepreneurs stepping into the new year 👉

Subscribe to the Leaders in Strategy Podcast for more insightful discussions and expert advice for business leaders!

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#Leadership #BusinessGrowth #NewYearGoals #entrepreneurs #ConfidenceBuilding #BusinessStrategy #GoalSetting #WomenInBusiness #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #GrowYourBusiness #Leaders #CEO

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Want More? Watch more episodes on scaling and business strategy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4j23J_5BCTMWQtXPEDDMCbOEHpQbjld1.

To find out more about Sian and her work, you can follow her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sian-brennan-todd/

You can also connect with Jeevan and learn more about her journey by following her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeevanpunj/.

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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

----------

Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To find out more, visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

As the year draws to a close, this Christmas special episode takes a step back to reflect on something that often gets overlooked in leadership and business: your values.

In a world of constant pressure, short-term decision-making, and commercial targets, it's easy to treat values as words on a wall rather than the foundation they are meant to be. But do values still matter in modern leadership, and do they really influence performance, culture, and long-term success?

In this festive episode, I am joined by returning guests Jeevan Punj and Sian Brennan-Todd to explore why values remain a true guiding star for leaders, especially during challenging periods.

Together, we discuss what values really mean in practice, how staying true to them helps leaders navigate difficult decisions, and why values play such a critical role in team culture, employee engagement, and trust across supply chains.

This conversation is a reminder that strong values are not about perfection. They are about clarity, consistency, and leadership integrity. Whether you're leading a growing business, managing a team, or setting intentions for the year ahead, this episode will help you reflect on what truly drives sustainable success.

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#Values #CompanyValues #Leadership #LeadershipTips #Entrepreneurship #EntrepreneurTips #BusinessGrowth #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #GrowYourBusiness #Leaders #CEO

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To find out more about Sian and her work, you can follow her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sian-brennan-todd/.

You can also connect with Jeevan and learn more about her journey by following her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeevanpunj/.

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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

----------

Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To find out more, visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

Starting a business is one thing. Growing it into something successful is another. At the Festival of Entrepreneurs 2025, we asked founders, CEOs and industry leaders one simple question: What advice would you give to the next generation of entrepreneurs?

The answers were honest, practical and often brutally real. In this episode, you’ll hear insights from people who have already built, scaled and survived the entrepreneurial journey.

You’ll learn why failure should never scare you, why letting go of tasks can unlock your growth, and why mentorship is more important than most founders realise.

You’ll also discover why what got you here will not get you to the next stage, and how hiring based on personality traits can beat hiring on skills alone. Whether you’re preparing to launch a new venture or looking for clarity on how to grow, this episode gives you advice from people who have actually done it.

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#Leadership #LeadershipTips #Entrepreneurship #EntrepreneurTips #BusinessGrowth #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #GrowYourBusiness #Leaders #CEO

----------

Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

----------

Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business?

I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To find out more, visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

Business strategy is never as simple as the textbooks make it sound. Every company grows differently, and there is no universal playbook that guarantees success. That's why the smartest leaders learn from those who have already been through the journey.

At the 2025 Festival of Entrepreneurs, I asked some of the most experienced founders, leaders and investors one question that matters more than any other: What is the biggest challenge in implementing your business strategy?

From stepping back to see the bigger picture, to avoiding the chicken and egg trap of relying on external funding, to understanding the real gaps in your market, this episode brings together honest, practical insights from people who have built and scaled businesses.

If you want to understand how successful entrepreneurs think about strategy, competitors, growth and decision making, this video will give you perspectives you will not hear anywhere else.

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#Leadership #LeadershipTips #Entrepreneurship #EntrepreneurTips #BusinessGrowth #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #GrowYourBusiness #Leaders #CEO

----------

Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

----------

Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To find out more, visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.

Running a business has never been harder. Every leader is dealing with uncertainty. No rulebook. No blueprint. Just decisions that shape the future of their business.

At the Festival of Entrepreneurs 2025, we asked some of the best minds in business one simple question: "What is the biggest challenge facing business leaders today?"

Featuring former Defence Secretary Sir Liam Fox alongside founders and leaders from brands such as HomeServe, Cleverfox AI, Cloud Accounting Support Services, and ANNA Money, this episode brings you raw, honest insights from the front line of business.

You’ll hear real answers on everything from the common challenges blocking growth to financial constraints and the risks of inaction.

Whether you're a first-time founder, a business owner, or in a leadership role within a company, this episode enables you to learn from people who have already done it.

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#Leadership #LeadershipTips #Entrepreneurship #EntrepreneurTips #BusinessGrowth #BusinessStrategy #GrowYourBusiness #BusinessAdvice #Business #GrowYourBusiness #Leaders #CEO

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Like, comment, and subscribe for more expert advice on business strategy, leadership, and scaling your business.

----------

Want to learn how to produce a winning business strategy and profitably grow your business? I teach, coach and mentor Directors, Leaders and Managers on how to run successful companies.

To find out more, visit my website https://www.strategusconsulting.co.uk/.

Follow me on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mike-harris-095b4775.