Scaling has a strange and rarely discussed side effect. The bigger the company gets, the more leaders get pulled down into execution instead of up into strategy. It doesn’t happen overnight. No CEO wakes up and decides, “I’d rather spend my time reviewing exceptions and resolving...
You can be the company’s hero… or its strategist. You can’t be both at the same time. Most CEOs don’t plan to live in reaction mode. No one starts a company dreaming about spending their days resolving escalations, approving exceptions, and untangling problems that should have...
The fastest way to break a growing business is to grow it faster than it can absorb. Growth is exciting. New customers, expanding teams, bigger opportunities… all signs that something is working. But at a certain point, growth stops feeling like momentum and starts feeling like...
Most CEOs pride themselves on being helpful… and for good reason. In the early days, helpfulness is survival. You answer questions quickly. You jump in to unblock progress. You solve problems before they slow the business down. That accessibility builds trust and momentum, and it’s often...
There’s a moment in every growing company that doesn’t get talked about enough… partly because it doesn’t announce itself clearly. Decisions carry weight. You’re no longer scrappy. The business has real momentum. Mistakes cost more than they used to. But you’re also not “big enough” yet—at least not on paper—to...
Most leaders trust their org chart. After all, it’s neat, logical, and comforting. Boxes are labeled, reporting lines are clear, and responsibilities appear well defined. From a distance, it looks like a system that should work. But, in most growing companies, the org chart describes how...
Most growth plans fail before February. Not because the goals are wrong, but because leaders don’t change how the company operates. Every January begins with momentum. The calendar turns, teams come back re-energized, and leadership sets ambitious targets. Revenue goals are raised. New initiatives are announced....
There’s something uniquely energizing about the first weeks of a new year. It’s not that the calendar magically resets your challenges, but it does reset your perspective. January offers CEOs something they rarely get during the year: a clean slate and a clear mind. But, starting...
The end of the year brings a familiar shift for most CEOs. Decisions pause. The inbox calms. Teams begin to unplug. The meetings slow down (or cease). Whether you run a small team or a company with hundreds of employees, December has a rhythm unlike any other month… a mix...
Fast-growing companies often feel like they’re stuck in permanent reaction mode. Teams are busy, the CEO is overwhelmed, and everyone is doing their best… yet progress feels slower than it should. It’s not because people aren’t capable. It’s because the business is running on chaos...