Hello, I'm Lee Houghton.

Leadership team coach Keynote speaker Author National Coach of the Year 2025

Leadership teams that agree in the room, and still agree in the car park.

I coach senior leadership teams in large, busy UK organisations. I help them have the honest conversations they keep working around, align properly rather than just agreeing, and turn good intentions into what people actually do on a Monday morning.

Talk about your team Book me to speak

AIYes, I lead with AI. Actual Intention. Being deliberate about how you show up, the questions you ask and who you make time for, because people still follow people.

National Coach
of the Year 2025 #1 bestselling
author

I've spoken for and worked with

CCMA
Lean Competency System
Binnies
NFU Mutual
and more

“A number of our senior leadership team have already been in touch wanting to utilise Lee for further engagements.”

Joe Denver, Binnies

Sound familiar?

The things leadership teams tell me in the first ten minutes.

Everyone agrees in the meeting.

Then the real conversation happens afterwards, in the corridor, the car park or a side chat, and the decision quietly comes apart.

The same actions keep coming back.

Every month they're on the list again, with new dates and the same reasons. Nobody is lazy. Something is getting in the way and nobody is saying what.

Strong individuals, not yet one team.

Everyone runs their own patch well. Together, it feels more like a set of updates than a leadership team doing the work only it can do.

Everything still lands on your desk.

You're the point of escalation for decisions your team could make. You haven't asked for that. It has just built up, one reasonable request at a time.

None of these are capability problems. They're conversations that aren't happening yet, and that is exactly where I work.

See how team coaching works Tell me what's going on

What did you have for your tea?● Who taught you the most about people?● What are you proud of that nobody knows?● What did you want to be when you were ten?● What's made you smile this week?● What did you have for your tea?● Who taught you the most about people?● What are you proud of that nobody knows?● What did you want to be when you were ten?● What's made you smile this week?●

Try this

One question. Asked properly. Listened to properly.

It doesn't need to be clever. Some of the best conversations I've ever had started with the simplest question in the world.

Ask someone today

What did you have for your tea?

Then really listen to the answer. That's the whole trick.

My story

I've always been more interested in the people than the plan.

Always make time.

I grew up in operations. Big, busy organisations full of depots, shift patterns and Monday morning meetings. What struck me, even then, was that the best results never came from the cleverest plan. They came from the teams where people actually knew each other.

The leaders who got the most from their people weren't the loudest or the most experienced. They were the most curious. They asked better questions, they listened longer, and they remembered what you told them.

Then life taught me something harder. Losing my best friend, Chris, left me with three words that now shape everything I do: always make time. For people. For the conversation you keep putting off. For the question you've never asked.

Today I coach leaders and teams, speak at conferences, write books and host a podcast, all about the same thing. In 2025 I was named National Coach of the Year. I'm also co-founder of Get Knowledge, where a lot of my team coaching happens.

In the room

Less talking at people. More talking with them.

Lee Houghton presenting The People Puzzle, piece one: Alignment, asking what a high-performing team means — The People Puzzle, piece one: Alignment

Lee Houghton with his hand raised, getting a room of leaders talking — Hands up if you've ever…

Lee Houghton delivering his culture talk to a room of leaders at round tables — Culture is the real BOSS

What I believe

Four things I'd put my name to

Curiosity beats judgement

The moment you decide you've worked someone out, you stop learning about them. Stay curious a little longer than feels comfortable.

Everyone has a story worth hearing

The quiet one on the late shift. The new starter. The person who always disagrees. There's more to every one of them than their job title.

Behaviour is the message

People don't follow what you say. They follow what you do, especially when you think nobody's watching. Culture is built in the corridor.

Always make time

The conversation you're too busy for is usually the one that matters most. Time is the clearest way to tell someone they matter.

How I help

It's rarely a capability problem. It's almost always a conversation problem.

Most teams already have the skills. What gets in the way is what people feel safe to say, and what leaders are curious enough to ask. That's where I work, in two ways that often lead into each other.

Leadership team coaching

For senior and executive teams at a moment of change, growth or transition. I work with the team together and with the people in it one to one, so they talk honestly, decide well and pull in the same direction. Delivered through Get Knowledge, alongside a brilliant team of associates.

What it involves

Speaking and workshops

Interactive talks for conferences and for teams, including one hour inside a meeting you already have. People leave with new thoughts, new feelings, new actions and new connections. That last one matters most to me.

Talks, formats and fees

Books, podcast and newsletter

The People Puzzle, my business novel The Missing Piece, the Business Problems Solved Podcast and a weekly newsletter. Ideas you can pick up today and try with your team tomorrow.

Read the newsletter

Team coaching, in practice

What you'd actually be signing up for.

Team coaching can sound vague, so here is how it usually runs. Every team is different, and we shape it together, but the bones stay the same.

Who's involved: the whole leadership team, working together, plus one to one time with the people in it.
Where we start: a conversation with you, the leader who is asking for help, about what is happening and why now.
What we work on: your real agenda and your real decisions. No case studies, no role plays about a made up company.
Meeting mirrors: I sit in on your real leadership meetings and hold up a mirror to how the team actually talks, listens and decides, then we work on what we both saw.
How we know it's working: the team agrees early what success looks like, and we review against it as we go.

Paseda360 Human-Centric Team Coaching Diploma badge awarded to Lee Houghton

Qualified team coach. Paseda360 Human-Centric Team Coaching Diploma, and National Coach of the Year 2025.

Understand
A one to one conversation with each member of the team before anyone is in a room together. I want to hear what's really going on, what helps and what hinders, in each person's own words.
Connect
The first team session. We build the trust and understanding that make honest conversation possible, and play back the themes without pointing at anyone.
Align
Two questions: what is the work that only this team can do, and what needs to be true for you to do it well together? This is where agreeing turns into aligning.
Develop
Regular sessions where the team practises the conversations, decisions and behaviours it agreed matter, meeting mirrors in your real meetings, and one to one coaching for the individuals in it.
Embed
We review progress against what the team said success would look like, and hand the habits over so they keep going long after I've gone.

Not sure you need all of that? Many teams start with a one hour talk inside a meeting they already have, and decide from there.

The People Puzzle by Lee Houghton, book cover

Lee Houghton The People Puzzle

Amazon
#1
bestseller

The book (that's a long Lancashire oo, by the way)

The People Puzzle

High performance isn't forced. It's felt.

“Your people aren't a problem to fix. They're a puzzle to understand.”

A practical, people-first guide for leaders who know their team can be more. It's written to be worked through, not just read, and it shows how four pieces fit together to create a team where people genuinely want to give their best.

Alignment

A shared purpose people actually believe in, shaping decisions at every level.

Relationships

Trust built through small daily habits: Connect, Converse, Collaborate and Celebrate.

Feelings

BEACON: Belonging, Engagement, Alignment, Communication, Ownership and Nurturing growth.

Leadership

The mindset, presence and actions your people need from you, especially when it's hard.

If your people don't feel it, they won't follow it.

“It is much better than I expected…” Jason Elliott, co-founder of Get Knowledge

Get The People Puzzle Or read The Missing Piece

Lee Houghton, keynote speaker, on stage with his hand raised

Speaking

Talks that get people talking.

Culture is the real BOSS

Behaviours Observed Set Standards. For leadership teams who know the culture people live isn't quite the one on the wall. Interactive, funny and practical, and it ends with every person committing to change one behaviour this week.

Download the one-pager PDF

There is no algorithm for trust

For improvement and change teams with more tools than ever and change that still won't stick. Why continuous improvement is still a human business. First delivered for the Lean Competency System, October 2026.

Download the one-pager PDF

Keynote, 30 to 40 minsWorkshop, 90 mins1 hour inside your meeting, £500 + VAT

Talks, formats and fees Ask about a date

What usually happens after a talk

1
The talk
People notice the everyday behaviours that are really shaping their culture, and say out loud the thing they've been working around.
2
The next conversation
Every booking includes a 30 minute debrief. We work out what came up and what it means for your particular team.
3
Team coaching, if it's needed
When the talk surfaces something the team needs help with, team coaching is how you practise different behaviours and make the change stick.

What changes afterwards

Don't take my word for it.

Binnies Engineering and environmental consultancy

From one talk to a year-long programme

What was happening: Binnies has deep technical expertise. Its leaders wanted their experts to have better conversations, with clients and with each other.
What we did: After I spoke at the EWB conference, I delivered Culture is the real BOSS to leaders at Binnies and spoke at their Delivery Conference. They then commissioned a development programme for a cohort of their technical leaders, which runs through 2027.
What changed: “Personally, the BOSS principle landed well with me. I am now a lot more conscious of my behaviours and how they could reflect on and perhaps influence the team… Practically common sense, nothing too technical or filled with jargon, but framed in a way that got people thinking differently about how they act… 100% go for it, you won't be disappointed!”

Joe Denver, Binnies

NFU Mutual Insurance

One team session, then word of mouth

What was happening: NFU Mutual was launching a new culture strategy, and wanted something that would connect with people and make it relevant and real. What does culture actually mean to them, in what happens day to day?
What we did: Culture is the real BOSS, delivered as a session inside a team meeting in York, August 2026. It finished the way it always does: one personal behaviour change from everyone in the room.
What happened next: “The team really enjoyed it and got a lot from it.” Managers told other managers, and more NFU Mutual teams have since booked sessions of their own, including teams outside customer service.

Sarah Jackson, NFU Mutual

“It really reinforced that language and communication type is paramount to ensuring sustainable change. It proved that, by doing it differently, we can build trust, let the workforce feel listened to, and implement change, one step at a time.”

Attendee, Lean Competency System webinar There is no algorithm for trust

“I was saying to the team directly after that I would love to have you for a breakout session for next year's conference.”

Pia Graham, Community Manager, Lean Competency System

“A really great session as well as thought provoking.”

Attendee, Lean Competency System webinar

10/10Likely to recommend, on every attendee feedback form returned after the LCS webinar (two forms, October 2026)

Top“Exceptional impact”, the highest usefulness rating, on those same forms

RepeatRebooked across NFU Mutual teams by word of mouth

Recognition

National Coach of the Year 2025

Awarded at the Paseda360 National Coaching Awards. I'm proud of it, but the credit belongs to the people I've coached. They're the ones who did the brave bit: getting curious, having the honest conversation and changing how they lead.

My company

Get Knowledge

Get Knowledge is the leadership and improvement consultancy I co-founded with Jason Elliott. It's where most of my team coaching happens, alongside a brilliant team of associates, working with leadership teams in some of the UK's biggest operational organisations.

About Get Knowledge Visit getknowledge.co.uk

Podcast

Business Problems Solved Podcast

Over 300 episodes of real-world examples and practical ways to solve the people and performance problems every business faces. Fair warning: it will challenge your thinking.

Coming soon A brand new podcast is on its way, and it will live in the same place. Subscribe now and it'll land straight in your feed.

Have a listen

Questions people ask

The quick answers

Who is Lee Houghton?

Lee Houghton is a UK leadership team coach, keynote speaker and author based in Lancashire. He is co-founder of Get Knowledge, author of The People Puzzle and the business novel The Missing Piece, host of the Business Problems Solved Podcast, and was named National Coach of the Year 2025 at the Paseda360 National Coaching Awards.

What does 'Lead with AI: Actual Intention' mean?

It is Lee's playful twist on the AI conversation. While organisations focus on artificial intelligence, Lee helps leaders master the other kind of AI: Actual Intention. That means being deliberate about how you show up, the questions you ask and who you make time for, because people still follow people.

What does Lee Houghton do?

Lee is a leadership team coach. He coaches leadership teams and the leaders in them, speaks at conferences and leadership events, and writes about people, trust and culture. Much of his team coaching is delivered through Get Knowledge, the consultancy he co-founded with Jason Elliott.

What does a leadership team coach do?

A leadership team coach works with a whole senior or executive team, not just individuals, to improve how the team thinks, talks and decides together. Lee Houghton coaches leadership teams through moments of change, growth and transition, helping them build trust, have honest conversations and turn strategy into what actually happens on the front line. Most of his leadership team coaching is delivered through Get Knowledge.

What is The People Puzzle about?

The People Puzzle is Lee Houghton's Amazon number one bestselling leadership book. It shows how four pieces, Alignment, Relationships, Feelings and Leadership, fit together to create a team where high performance feels natural. It includes the BEACON model and the 4Cs: Connect, Converse, Collaborate and Celebrate.

What is Get Knowledge?

Get Knowledge is a UK leadership and improvement consultancy co-founded by Lee Houghton and Jason Elliott. It works with leadership teams in large, complex operational organisations through two connected practices: the Leadership Practice and the Improvement Practice. Find out more on the Get Knowledge page or at getknowledge.co.uk.

Can I book Lee Houghton to speak at my event?

Yes. Lee speaks at conferences, leadership events and team meetings across the UK. His talks are 'Culture is the real BOSS' and 'There is no algorithm for trust', available as a 30 to 40 minute keynote, a 90 minute workshop, or one hour inside a meeting you already have for £500 plus VAT, with travel at cost. See the speaking page for details.

Say hello

I'd love to hear your story.

Whether it's about your team, an event, the book or just something on your mind, drop me a note. I read every message myself.

Thinking about your team?

Book a 30 minute team coaching intro call straight into my diary.

Book an intro call

Organising an event?

Use the form with “Speaking” selected, or email me the date, the audience and the theme, and I'll come straight back to you.

Email lee@getknowledge.co.uk

Based in Lancashire, working across the UK.