Why Leadership Teams Fail To Change (And How To Fix It) | E359
Fri Jan 30 2026
Companies claim they're too busy for AI, and leadership teams are bloated and ineffective. The UK's productivity crisis won't be solved by working harder. These aren't controversial opinions, they're the reality Gerry Tombs is seeing as he helps businesses navigate the AI transformation after scaling ClearVision from a garage startup to £7 million in revenue and 100 people before a successful exit three years ago.
In this episode, Gerry breaks down why AI will expose leaders who aren't pulling their weight, why managers will soon oversee hybrid teams of humans and AI agents, and how the millennial generation (29-44) is perfectly positioned to lead in the AI era. He also shares the brutal lessons from scaling ClearVision over 25 years—from staying in hiring too long, to ring-fencing innovation teams, to building enough trust that his leadership team could hold each other accountable rather than relying on him to fire underperformers. And yes, he hit number one in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For—but missed the ceremony due to a migraine.
What you'll learn:
🤖 Why companies claiming they're "too busy for AI" are actually just terrified
⚡ How AI agents will work alongside humans in hybrid teams within two years
🎯 Why 50% of senior people could do more with AI—and why the rest will be exposed
📊 The delegate-to-elevate framework: giving AI the work you hate so you can do what matters
👥 Why leadership teams of 6-7 (including the CEO) are optimal for decision-making
🏆 How Tour of Duty hiring creates adult conversations and eliminates surprise resignations
Book recommendations:
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Lencioni/dp/0787960756
Raving Fans - Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raving-Fans-Revolutionary-Approach-Customer/dp/0006530958
Coaching for Performance - John Whitmore - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coaching-Performance-Principles-Leadership-UPDATED/dp/1473658128
Breath - James Nestor - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/0241289130
Drive - Daniel H. Pink - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/184767769X
Rocket Fuel - Gino Wickman & Mark C. Winters - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocket-Fuel-Visionary-Integrator-Relationship/dp/1941631622
Flourish - Martin Seligman - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flourish-Visionary-Understanding-Happiness-Well-being/dp/1857885511
The Alliance - Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, Chris Yeh - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked-Age/dp/1625275773
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Companies claim they're too busy for AI, and leadership teams are bloated and ineffective. The UK's productivity crisis won't be solved by working harder. These aren't controversial opinions, they're the reality Gerry Tombs is seeing as he helps businesses navigate the AI transformation after scaling ClearVision from a garage startup to £7 million in revenue and 100 people before a successful exit three years ago. In this episode, Gerry breaks down why AI will expose leaders who aren't pulling their weight, why managers will soon oversee hybrid teams of humans and AI agents, and how the millennial generation (29-44) is perfectly positioned to lead in the AI era. He also shares the brutal lessons from scaling ClearVision over 25 years—from staying in hiring too long, to ring-fencing innovation teams, to building enough trust that his leadership team could hold each other accountable rather than relying on him to fire underperformers. And yes, he hit number one in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For—but missed the ceremony due to a migraine. What you'll learn: 🤖 Why companies claiming they're "too busy for AI" are actually just terrified ⚡ How AI agents will work alongside humans in hybrid teams within two years 🎯 Why 50% of senior people could do more with AI—and why the rest will be exposed 📊 The delegate-to-elevate framework: giving AI the work you hate so you can do what matters 👥 Why leadership teams of 6-7 (including the CEO) are optimal for decision-making 🏆 How Tour of Duty hiring creates adult conversations and eliminates surprise resignations Book recommendations: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Lencioni/dp/0787960756 Raving Fans - Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raving-Fans-Revolutionary-Approach-Customer/dp/0006530958 Coaching for Performance - John Whitmore - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coaching-Performance-Principles-Leadership-UPDATED/dp/1473658128 Breath - James Nestor - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/0241289130 Drive - Daniel H. Pink - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/184767769X Rocket Fuel - Gino Wickman & Mark C. Winters - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocket-Fuel-Visionary-Integrator-Relationship/dp/1941631622 Flourish - Martin Seligman - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flourish-Visionary-Understanding-Happiness-Well-being/dp/1857885511 The Alliance - Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, Chris Yeh - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked-Age/dp/1625275773 Sign up to receive our weekly Scale To Win newsletter: https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.com Follow Dominic on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse