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In this episode of The Power Between Podcast by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar speaks with Miles Bonell, Fractional HR Consultant at Milo, Fractional Head of People & Culture at CARPENTE Architecture and Traffic Label Limited, working with growing businesses on people strategy and culture. Miles shares his journey from recruitment into senior roles at companies such as Tesco and Amazon before moving into consultancy. He reflects on the differences between large corporate structures and fast moving startups, and explains how red tape, culture, and decision making affect motivation and impact. Miles also explores the gap in people management training, the importance of feedback, and why learning, leadership, and genuine care for people are essential for strong performance and long term success.
Miles explains how his work as an HR consultant focuses on helping businesses build strong people practices from the ground up. He shares how large organizations like Amazon rely on structure and layered decision making, while smaller companies move faster but place more pressure on individual managers. Miles highlights the gap in people management training and why many managers are promoted without being taught how to lead. He also discusses the value of regular feedback, simple performance reviews, and learning by doing. Throughout the conversation, he shows how clear processes, honest conversations, and genuine care for people can improve engagement, retention, and results.
Key Topics:
-Career Path from Recruitment to Consultancy: How Miles moved from recruitment into senior roles at Tesco and Amazon before launching his own HR consultancy.
-Big Corporates Versus Startups: The contrast between layered decision making in global firms and the fast moving, high ownership culture of smaller businesses.
-The Reality of Middle Management: Why many managers work within strict structures and have limited strategic control.
-The People Management Skills Gap: How managers are promoted without training and why coaching, feedback, and engagement skills matter.
-Building Feedback and Learning Cultures: How simple one to ones, annual reviews, and honest conversations improve retention, motivation, and performance.
👉 Explore all of Amazon’s Leadership Principles here: https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-principles
Timestamps:
[00:00] Teaser
[01:25] Introduction and Miles’ HR consultancy journey
[03:53] From recruitment to Tesco, Amazon, and consultancy
[07:11] Big corporates versus startups and pace of change
[09:08] Amazon culture and leadership principles
[16:17] Recruiting for people management versus technical skill
[19:19] The gap in people management training
[22:20] Learning, leadership, and the three Ls
[36:18] Building feedback culture and simple annual reviews
[40:12] Closing reflections and future topics
📚 Resources:
👉 Subscribe to DLQ just for $3 for 3 months - https://developingleadersquarterly.com/
👉 Read this article from DLQ46 for free on ‘From Compete and Compare to Collaborate and Care’ -https://developingleadersquarterly.com/from-compete-and-compare-to-collaborate-and-care/?share=ccyoGhQUZSYB
Follow our guest, Miles Bonell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesbonell/
Follow our Guest’s Companies:
- Milo:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/milohr/
Website: https://www.milohr.com/
- CARPENTE Architecture:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carpentearchitecture/
Website: https://carpentearchitecture.com/
- Traffic Label Limited:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/traffic-label-limited/
Website: https://www.trafficlabel.com/
Follow the Host, Roddy Millar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roddymillar/
Follow Ideas For Leaders:
Website: https://ideasforleaders.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ideas-for-leaders/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideasforleaders.dlq
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideasforleaders/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/ideas4leaders
Listening Links:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NHgbWdUlJS8z1aSTgcIYt?si=d4f19ce12516420f
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-between/id1842080646
Podcast site: https://ideasforleaders.com/
Subscribe for more insights on leadership, people management, and building strong workplace cultures. Share your thoughts and key takeaways in the comments below!
