Episode 632

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Published on:

30th Apr 2025

Why Every CEO Needs a Personal “Why” with Ben Renshaw

How can leaders connect their personal purpose with their company's mission?

In today’s episode, Bill talks with leadership coach Ben Renshaw about the importance of discovering your personal why. They also discuss how aligning personal and company purposes can lead to more meaningful leadership and a positive work environment.

Ben Renshaw is a former classical violinist turned leadership coach who’s all about helping people find what truly lights them up. He’s worked with top global brands and execs, all while keeping his focus on one big question: what’s your why?


Topics explored in this episode: 


(1:11) Discovering Your Why

- Ben shares his journey from classical music to personal development.

- Co-founded The Happiness Project in the skeptical UK of the 1990s.


(7:45) Building Real Connection

- Ben reflects on how different cultures respond to emotional authenticity.

- How a company’s purpose can cascade into personal leadership development.


(14:21) Transforming Leaders from the Inside Out

- A reluctant CFO discovers his purpose and transforms into a CEO.

- Tools like personal dashboards help measure purpose in action.


(23:44) Scaling Purpose 

- Purpose isn't just personal—it can energize entire organizations.

- Meaningful work improves performance and employee engagement.


(35:51) Designing Purposeful Cultures

- The ripple effect of purpose touches supply chains, governance, and government policy.

- Purposeful companies create traditions and symbols that inspire the next generation.


Thanks to Ben Renshaw for being on the show! 


Connect with Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-renshaw/ 

Learn more about Ben: https://www.benrenshaw.com 

Get Ben’s book, How to be a CEO: https://amzn.to/42xlLxJ 


Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. 


Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop 


Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall

Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach 


Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. 

 

Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.


Subscribe via Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PGhWPJ

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PKe00u


Bill on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billgall/ 

Bill on Twitter/X: https://x.com/billgall 


This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

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About the Podcast

Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher
Do you dream of an easier way to scale and grow your business? Do you wish you didn’t have to work so hard and put in as many hours? Do you find growth too slow, or hard to sustain?

This podcast—Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher—can help you achieve and maintain the growth you want.

A message from your host: “I’ve been in your shoes as a founder, CEO, and executive leader. I’ve coached and trained many leaders just like you over more than 15 years to grow their businesses successfully and profitably. But more than that, I’ve helped give them their time and sanity back. My core strength is making the growth process easier, faster, and way more fun.”

A dynamic thought leader, Bill talks with fascinating and brilliant guests each week, including visionary CEOs, trailblazing entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, renowned business strategists, and more.

Broadly, each episode focuses on one of the four major decision areas every entrepreneur and company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. More specifically, the show explores topics such as:

* Business Growth & Scaling.
* Customer Experience & Marketing.
* Innovation & Differentiation.
* Leadership Development.
* Delegation & Accountability.
* Vision & Strategy.
* Team Dynamics.
* Hiring & Talent Management.
* Company Culture.
* Employee Engagement.
* Crisis Management.
* Effective Communication.
* Influence & Persuasion.
* Business Strategies.

Running a business is ultimately about freedom. Subscribe to this podcast to learn how leaders like you can get your organizations moving in sync, create something significant, and still enjoy the ride. Subscribe if you want to elevate your business to unprecedented heights by tuning in to a masterclass in business excellence.

For information on Bill Gallagher’s coaching and training programs, and Scaling Up Workshops, visit www.ScalingCoach.com

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William Gallagher