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Episode #601 - Leadership Effectiveness Is A State Of Mind - with Bob Ferguson — ScaleUp Radio Episode #601

Episode #601 - Leadership Effectiveness Is A State Of Mind - with Bob Ferguson

Episode #601 4 May 2026

Show notes

Hi there and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast brought to you by Smart90, inspired by the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System and designed to make navigating our ScaleUp journeys that little bit easier by learning from others' experiences.

I’m Kevin Brent and in today's episode I’m joined by Bob Ferguson.

Bob brings a fascinating perspective on leadership - combining decades of experience in business, community building, and global networks - and at the heart of it all is one powerful idea: mental fitness.

We explore why your effectiveness as a leader is shaped less by what you know, and more by your internal state - your ability to stay calm, open, and in control, especially under pressure.

One standout message that really stayed with me was this:
“In leadership, the state of the knower is just as important as the knowledge itself.”

We also talk about what it really takes to lead an “all-volunteer army,” why inspiring people beats managing them, and how a small city of under 10,000 people became one of the most recognised intelligent communities in the world.

If you're tired of ending the week busy but no further forward, I run a quarterly planning session called the G90 Summit, a structured half-day where founders and the leadership teams get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, and commit to them. I run them quarterly. Find out more and reserve your place at Smart90.co.uk/summit.

Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts - and why not give us a follow.

For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Bob.

 

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin here:

kevin@biz-smart.co.uk

 

 

Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter. If that’s you, the G90 Summit is worth a look. A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, then commit to them and build the system to make sure they actually happen. Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat.

Smart90 Summit

 

Bob cab be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobferguson/

https://appliedintelligencecoaching.com/

bob@fergleads.com

913-208-6357

Resources:

Civic Intelligence Hub - https://civicintelligencehub.com/

Lifestyle Intelligence Hub - https://www.lifestyleintelligencehub.com/

Liked this conversation? Bring the same thinking to your business.

ScaleUp Radio is hosted by Kevin Brent — founder of Smart90, author of the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System (ESUS), and the same Kevin who works directly with founders inside the G90 Summit.

The Summit is a structured half-day — quarterly, virtual via Zoom — where founders and their teams get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, and leave with a plan committed to making them happen.

Reserve Your Place at the G90 Summit →

Next session: 26th June 2026 · £97 for a standalone seat · smart90.co.uk/summit