In this episode, David and Rob break down the themes from their latest NZ Manufacturer column, Own It: Leadership is a personal responsibility, not a title.

This candid and practical conversation explores how business performance is inextricably linked to leadership quality and why many SMB owners unknowingly hold their teams back. 

They dive deep into the cultural, structural and behavioural shifts needed to lead high-performing, sustainable teams and challenge listeners to take a long look in the mirror. 

Highlights: 

• “You can’t scale a business by working harder; you scale it by leading better.” 

• Why reactive leadership creates chaos and burnout and how intentional leadership builds resilient, thriving teams. 

• The power of standardising work, designing your “perfect week,” to shift from hustle to high performance 

• How to create psychological safety and team ownership, so leaders stop playing hero and start creating more leaders 

• Real-world lessons from Toyota’s team structure and problem-solving culture and how NZ manufacturers can adapt the same principles 

This episode is a must-listen for any business owner or leader ready to move from burnout to strategic impact. The bad news? Your business is a reflection of you. The good news? You have the power to change it. 

🎧 Tune in, share with your team, and take the first step toward sustainable leadership. 

Thank you for listening to The Better SMB. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review. 

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Connect with Rob and David on LinkedIn 

Rob Bull 

David Altena 

Learn more about New Zealand Lean Academy and the mission Rob is on to make NZ the best place in the world to do business  

Download David's NBR-featured report "Boosting Productivity in New Zealand SMEs" by joining the mailing list on the Altena Solutions website and start your journey to a more productive business today