What Makes a Good Modern Business Leader?

How do you build a high-performing leadership team when 82% of UK managers have received no formal training?

In this episode of OxTalks, host Howard Bentham speaks with Claire Croft, founder of Claire Croft Associates and executive coach, about what defines effective leadership in today's workplace. They explore why transparency, clarity and a willingness to develop people's potential are essential management qualities, and why poor leadership continues to drive employees away from organisations.

Drawing on recent data showing that only 10% of UK employees feel engaged at work and that 41% of workers have left jobs due to poor management, Claire explains how organisations can move beyond command-and-control approaches to create cultures where people thrive. From her own career transition from advertising strategist to executive coach, she shares practical insights on how leaders can navigate constant change, foster autonomy without abandonment, and build resilience through thinking before acting. Whether you're a new manager or a seasoned executive, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at what leadership really requires in 2026.

• (00:00) - Welcome to OxTalks
• (03:00) - Defining the Ideal Manager
• (05:42) - Traits of Effective Leadership
• (06:56) - Claire's Experience with Good and Poor Managers
• (07:49) - The Landscape of Accidental Managers in the UK
• (10:17) - Biggest Issues with UK Workplace Culture
• (11:32) - Claire's Journey into Leadership Coaching
• (14:13) - How the Corporate Landscape Has Changed Since 2015
• (20:17) - Starting Point for Coaching Leaders and Teams
• (27:33) - How to Foster Better Conversations in Teams
• (30:01) - The Role of Autonomy in Empowering Teams
• (33:48) - Are Leaders Born or Made?
• (36:56) - Essential Values and Attributes for Today's Leaders
• (40:28) - Creating and Changing Workplace Culture
• (43:13) - How AI Will Change Leadership

Claire Croft: Claire Croft is the founder of Claire Croft Associates, an executive coaching and leadership development practice based in Oxfordshire, and a director at Corporate Punk, a specialist change consultancy. A member of the International Coaching Federation, she works with senior leaders and leadership teams to overcome barriers to personal and commercial success, with clients including Unipart, Virgin and Invesco. Before transitioning to coaching in 2011, Claire spent over 15 years working as a strategist and talent director in leading London advertising agencies, including roles at board level with clients ranging from the BBC and BMW to O2 and Great Ormond Street Hospital. She established her own coaching practice in February 2016, marking nearly ten years of helping organisations unlock potential and create high-performing teams through improved communication, emotional intelligence and culture change.

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Our work has made a significant impact, helping to create favourable conditions for economic growth in Oxfordshire. We provide support for hundreds of businesses and communities in the county, supporting their desire to grow and attract the best talent locally, nationally and internationally.

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OxTalks is recorded at the Oxford Podcast Studio and produced by Story Ninety-Four.