Listen "Episode 17: What Real Leadership Looks Like | Randal "Tiny" Smith on Strategy, Empathy & Team Performance"
Episode Synopsis
What makes a great leader in today’s world of constant pressure, rapid change, and overhyped management trends?
In this episode of Zero Distortion, Russ Bates talks with Randal “Tiny” Smith, a 6’7” British military veteran, aerospace engineer, and former Chief Operating Officer at Jaguar Land Rover, who’s led global teams in the military and private sector alike.
With deep experience in EV deployment, renewable energy strategy, and high-value manufacturing, Randal brings a grounded and battle-tested perspective to modern leadership.
🎯 Topics covered:
What real leadership means in high-stakes environments
The 3Ts Leadership Model: Trusted, Transparent, Tailored
How to lead large teams through stress, change, and crisis
Why empathy and emotional intelligence are critical leadership skills
How Randal helped lead the Jaguar I-Pace EV from concept to production
What leaders get wrong when they forget to build trust Lessons from the RAF, the shop floor, and the C-suite
Whether you're managing a team, leading a company, or just want to become someone people actually want to follow, this episode is full of insights, stories, and hard-earned truths about leadership that works.
🧠 Leadership isn’t about titles — it’s about people, clarity, and integrity.
🔗 Follow Randal “Tiny” Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evchargingsolutions/
🎧 Subscribe to Zero Distortion for more honest, high-impact conversations on leadership, energy, and personal growth.
#Leadership #MilitaryLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #TeamBuilding #COO #ZeroDistortion #RussBatesPodcast #EVLeadership #JaguarIPace #CleanEnergy #Empathy #ServantLeadership #BusinessStrategy
In this episode of Zero Distortion, Russ Bates talks with Randal “Tiny” Smith, a 6’7” British military veteran, aerospace engineer, and former Chief Operating Officer at Jaguar Land Rover, who’s led global teams in the military and private sector alike.
With deep experience in EV deployment, renewable energy strategy, and high-value manufacturing, Randal brings a grounded and battle-tested perspective to modern leadership.
🎯 Topics covered:
What real leadership means in high-stakes environments
The 3Ts Leadership Model: Trusted, Transparent, Tailored
How to lead large teams through stress, change, and crisis
Why empathy and emotional intelligence are critical leadership skills
How Randal helped lead the Jaguar I-Pace EV from concept to production
What leaders get wrong when they forget to build trust Lessons from the RAF, the shop floor, and the C-suite
Whether you're managing a team, leading a company, or just want to become someone people actually want to follow, this episode is full of insights, stories, and hard-earned truths about leadership that works.
🧠 Leadership isn’t about titles — it’s about people, clarity, and integrity.
🔗 Follow Randal “Tiny” Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evchargingsolutions/
🎧 Subscribe to Zero Distortion for more honest, high-impact conversations on leadership, energy, and personal growth.
#Leadership #MilitaryLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #TeamBuilding #COO #ZeroDistortion #RussBatesPodcast #EVLeadership #JaguarIPace #CleanEnergy #Empathy #ServantLeadership #BusinessStrategy
More episodes of the podcast Zero Distortion with Russ Bates
Episode 50: From Burnout to Best Life
20/11/2025
Episode 48: The Death of Conversation
13/11/2025
Episode 46- The Outrage Machine
07/11/2025
Episode 44: Stop Saying Yes to Everything
30/10/2025
Episode 43: Build Unshakable Confidence
28/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.