I know this because I’m not just an observer, I’m guilty, I’m an idea guy.

One of my strengths as a leader is the ability to see what needs to be done, sometimes before others see it clearly. I can connect dots, spot gaps, and imagine what the business could be if we just fixed this or pursued that. That strength, unmanaged, becomes a liability. If I let too many irons sit in the fire, eventually the fire goes out. Not because the team isn’t capable, but because I’ve spread them too thin.

That’s the part leaders don’t always want to admit. The problem usually isn’t talent or effort. It’s focus.

At some point, leadership stops being about coming up with ideas and starts being about choosing. And then choosing again. And then sticking with those choices when the day-to-day noise starts screaming for attention.

Plans are Easy. Progress Is Harder.

Most teams are not underperforming because they don’t care or aren’t working hard enough. They’re underperforming because they’re overloaded. When everything is important, nothing really is. When priorities shift constantly, people stop believing in them. When leaders keep adding work without subtracting anything, execution slows, quality drops, and frustration builds.

This is how well-intentioned strategic plans quietly turn into unorganized wish lists. It’s also how strong teams burn out while producing average results.

The common thread is simple. Leaders don’t kill enough work.

Three Buckets. That’s It.

In practice, almost everything a team works on fits into one of three categories.

First, there are tactical initiatives. These are the must-dos. Customer issues, safety concerns, compliance requirements, operational breakdowns, commitments already made. They may not be exciting, but they are non-negotiable. Ignore them and the business pays for it quickly.

Second, there are strategic priorities. These are the few things that actually shape the future of the business. Market expansion, new products, capability building, structural changes. By definition, these must be limited. If you have more than a handful at any given time, you don’t have priorities. You have aspirations.

Third, there’s everything else.

This is where things get uncomfortable. The “everything else” bucket is full of good ideas, smart ideas, and sometimes even necessary ideas. The problem isn’t that they’re bad. The problem is timing. This bucket exists to protect focus, not to suppress creativity.

Most leaders struggle here. They let scope creep sneak into annual operating plans and strategic roadmaps because saying yes feels easier than saying no. Over time, the strategy gets diluted, timelines stretch, and the execution quality suffers. Not because the team failed, but because leadership did.

Why Strategy Needs Protection

Strategy doesn’t usually fail because it was poorly conceived. It fails because it wasn’t defended and therefore not well executed.

Scope creep almost never announces itself loudly. It shows up as “this won’t take long,” or “we can run it in parallel,” or “let’s just explore it.” Before you know it, your most important initiatives are under-resourced, leaders are frustrated by slow progress, and teams are quietly overwhelmed.

One of the real jobs of a leader is to act as a filter. To shield the team from random escalations, executive drive-bys, pet projects, and yes, even their own impulses. If you don’t do that, the team learns a dangerous lesson. Priorities are temporary. Focus is negotiable. Commitments can be revisited whenever something new comes along.

That lesson spreads faster than any strategy ever will.

A Practical Decision-Making Framework

When a new idea or initiative comes up, run it through this filter.

1. Does this directly support a current strategic priority?

Yes → proceed to resourcing discussion

No → park it

2. If we say yes, what are we stopping?

If nothing is coming off the plate, this is already a bad decision.

3. Do we have a clear owner and success metric?

If accountability is fuzzy, execution will be too.

4. Is leadership willing to protect this work?

If the answer is “we’ll see how it goes,” don’t start.

5. Can this wait 90 days?

Most things can. The ones that can’t usually belong in the tactical bucket anyway.

This framework isn’t fancy; it doesn’t need to be. It’s meant to force trade-offs and that’s the point.

The Part We Don’t Say Out Loud

Most teams don’t fail because they lack ambition or ideas. They fail because leaders lack restraint.

Focus is a leadership decision.
Clarity is a leadership decision.
Saying no is a leadership decision.

Every time a leader adds work without subtracting something else, they’re making a choice, whether they admit it or not.

So if execution feels slow, if priorities feel muddy, or if your best people look stretched thin, don’t start by asking them to do more.

Start by asking yourself one question.

What am I willing to stop?

That answer usually tells you everything you need to know.

That’s why your network matters. And let me be clear—I’m not talking about “networking.” I’ve never been to one of those awkward mixers where everyone trades cards and pretends they’ll follow up, and I don’t plan to. If that’s your thing, great… but it’s not mine. I’m talking about the people you collect along the way in your career. The ones you actually want to stay in touch with. The ones who will tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it, who don’t have an agenda, and who actually understand what you’re dealing with because they’ve been there too.

I’ve been lucky. I’ve worked in big, mid-sized, and small companies, and while each one taught me something different, the real value was the people I met. Colleagues who grew into senior roles. Friends who made the jump to President and CEO. Others who stayed specialists but became the people I call when I need a reality check in their area of expertise.

And I’ve stayed connected. I still talk to people from my very first sales training group. Out of seven of us, three ended up as Presidents. Not because we were some kind of prodigy class—it just worked out that way. Which proves the point: you never know who’s going to rise with you.

This network has saved me more than once. Sometimes it’s advice, sometimes it’s perspective, sometimes it’s just someone saying, “Yeah, that really does suck.” And I return the favor when they need it.

Here’s what I will tell you: if you think you’re going to “start networking” once you’re in charge, you’ve already missed the boat. Start as early as you can with people you know. Don’t go “shopping” for high-level people you have nothing in common with, you don’t add value to their network. Build it as you go, keep it primarily at your level and one level up and one below.

Lastly, keep in touch. Put in the effort. As you grow, many in your network will also be growing. And finally, use your network, because when things get tough—and they will—you’ll want people you can call who won’t try to sell you something, won’t sugarcoat it, and definitely won’t blow smoke up your ass. They’ll just tell you the truth.

Over the next five years, the workforce is going to look completely different. The Boomers? They’ll be retired, hopefully enjoying themselves and not replying-all to chain emails anymore. Gen X—my generation—will make up about a quarter of the workforce, still holding the middle, as usual. Millennials will hover around a third, finally stepping into senior leadership. And Gen Z? They’ll no longer be the interns and new hires. They’ll be making many of the decisions. For the first time, the majority of decision-makers will have been born into a fully digital world.

That’s a massive shift. Gen X grew up in an analog childhood and built careers in a digital adulthood. We spanned both worlds—rotary phones and smartphones, card catalogs and Google, MTV and TikTok. We didn’t just survive change; we made a habit of adapting. That adaptability is our edge. And now, we get to use it again.

You can already see how different the younger generations approach work. Need to learn something? We used training classes, manuals and mentors. They go straight to YouTube, TikTok, or AI. We trusted people, brand names and catalogues. They trust reviews and online communities. They’re perfectly fine trading data for value and expect digital experiences to be seamless. What started in consumer life is now everywhere—even in B2B. If you don’t have a self-service portal or a chatbot, you’re behind.

And here’s the funny part: my son is Gen Z, and even he says he doesn’t understand Gen Alpha. That’s when it hit me—the pace of change is leaving everyone squinting at the generation coming up behind them. It’s not just Boomers scratching their heads at Gen Z. Every generation is getting disrupted faster than ever.

Now, a lot of leaders see this and complain. They want people to work “their way.” That’s a fast track to irrelevance. The truth is, Darwin was right: survival belongs to the adaptable. And honestly, this is where I get excited. I don’t just accept new tools and new ways of thinking—I dive into them. I feel like a kid in a candy store when there’s something new to learn. AI? Social platforms I’ll never use personally but want to understand? New ways teams collaborate? I’m in. Because the minute you stop being curious, you stop being relevant.

That doesn’t mean experience doesn’t matter. Quite the opposite. The power is in the blend. Younger generations bring speed, digital fluency, and fresh ways of seeing the world. We bring perspective, judgment, and the ability to see patterns because we’ve lived through them before. They can sprint; we know how to run the marathon. Together, that’s unbeatable.

What motivated us—titles, offices, and promotions—matters less today. What matters more is flexibility, authenticity, purpose, and constant feedback. If leaders don’t offer those things, they’ll watch their best talent walk out the door. Retention in the next five years will be won or lost on culture, not just compensation.

The future won’t belong to Gen X, Millennials, or Gen Z alone. It will belong to the leaders who can bridge the gap—who can mix experience with innovation, and wisdom with curiosity. The next five years are going to be one big test. And personally? I can’t wait to see what we learn.

I recently made the decision to leave my position as President and CEO.

It wasn’t because I didn’t like the job. I really did. Over the past seven and a half years, I built my leadership team, worked with them to develop our growth strategy, and helped transform the culture into a performance-based team focused on teamwork and delivering an outstanding customer experience. Everything was going well.

And yet, something was missing.

I realized that I felt the need for more. I felt stagnated. It’s a strange feeling. I had built a team I trusted, led an organization I liked, and yet I wasn’t satisfied. Then it hit me: I’m not built to be satisfied. I’m built to learn, to be challenged, and to grow, both personally and professionally.

I knew I needed to make a change.

I spoke to my wife about it. I told her I needed more. She asked me what I wanted. I wasn’t sure. I just knew I wanted a bigger challenge, to make a difference, and to keep learning.

So, I wrote my resignation letter. It sat in my drafts for two weeks. This was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. Every other job I’d left had problems or issues I wanted to escape, or I was going to a much better opportunity. This one was different. There was nothing wrong with it. Many people would have killed to have this job. And yet here I was, contemplating quitting.

One Friday evening around 6:30, I hit send. I took the chance. I bet on myself.

This post is about finding your why, finding your happiness, and taking your shot.

When I told a colleague what I was doing and why, he quoted something his father always told him. It stuck with me. It comes from Matthew 7:13-14: “Go through the narrow gate, it will bring you purpose, because the wide gate is easier but will also lead to destruction.”

I’m heading through the narrow gate. Wish me the best.

Let me know if you’ve ever had to make a life changing decision and bet on yourself or am contemplating one.

Not the theoretical kind you read about in leadership books. I mean the kind that separates good managers from scalable leaders. The kind that feels a little uncomfortable at first—like handing over your future to someone else and hoping they don’t screw it up.

Because here’s the truth: the people who move up the corporate ladder are usually the ones who know how to get things done. They’re the workhorses. The go-to problem solvers. The ones who figure it out, pick up the slack, and quietly (or not so quietly) make things run.

Until they don’t.

Because somewhere along the way, what got them there starts holding them back.

Instead of empowering their teams, they keep “doing”. They hold onto tasks below their pay grade, convince themselves they’re “helping,” and slowly become the bottleneck they used to complain about. And then they wonder why they’re always in meetings, have no time to work on strategic initiatives, and why their best people aren’t growing—or worse, are leaving.

It’s a vicious cycle. One I’ve seen over and over.

And yes, I’ve lived it too and occasionally still fall into the trap (hey, I can still do some things better).

There’s a classic Harvard Business Review article called “Who’s Got the Monkey?” If you haven’t read it, I’ve attached it for you. It’s a simple metaphor: employees show up with problems (monkeys), and instead of helping them feed their monkey, most managers just let the monkey jump on their back. Now you have the problem, the task, the next step. And your team? They walk away lighter, waiting for you to solve it.

It’s not management. It’s monkey adoption.

Article Link: HBR - Who's got the Monkey

Delegation isn’t about offloading work. It’s about scaling leadership.

Here’s why this matters:

1. If you don’t delegate, you can’t scale.

There’s no version of business growth where you’re personally involved in every decision, every fire drill, or every tactical move. You’re either building a machine—or you are the machine. And the second one breaks down.

2. You block your people from growing.

When leaders hoard responsibility, they unintentionally signal that their team isn’t ready—or worse, not trusted. You end up with frustrated employees stuck in neutral while you keep doing their job and yours. No one wins.

3. You burn out. And you lose sight of your real job.

Your job is to focus on vision, strategy, and long-term value creation. If you’re still approving vendor invoices, running down quality complaints, or answering the RFP, you're playing the wrong position.

4. You create dependence, not accountability.

When people bring you problems and you solve them, they learn to rely on you. When you coach them through it—ask questions, guide decision-making, and let them own the outcome—they build confidence and capability.

I know the fear. “What if they mess it up?” “It’s faster if I just do it.” “I don’t have time to explain it.” We’ve all said it.

But here’s the reality: if your team can’t handle it, that’s not their fault—that’s on you. Either you hired the wrong people, you haven’t trained them, or you haven’t let go long enough to find out what they’re capable of.

Delegation isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. Sometimes the handoff will go sideways. That’s okay. It’s still worth it. Because every time you delegate with intention, you’re investing in your team’s growth—and your organization’s future.

So if your calendar is full of tasks that someone on your team could (and should) be doing, ask yourself:
Is this really mine to own—or did I just let another monkey jump on my back?

Your turn: Take inventory of what’s on your plate this week. Circle anything that’s below your pay grade. Then ask: who should own this? And how do I support them to succeed?

That’s not stepping back. That’s leadership.

Lastly, let me know what you delegated and how it felt to get some time back!

When I first became President, I noticed something strange: people started hanging on my every word. I set the strategy. I made the calls. Apparently, I set the tone for the whole organization.

And yeah, some of that’s true. But what I’ve come to understand is that no matter how many decisions I make, the company’s success depends on everyone else just as much—if not more.

Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. And that’s the problem.

Let’s talk about packaging, for example. I’m in the B2B hardware space—not exactly TikTok unboxing material. But when our product arrives at a customer’s door, who’s the last person to touch it? The packer. That’s our last shot at quality control. That’s our first impression. That is the customer experience.

And it’s not just packaging. It’s accounts receivable. Order entry. Customer service. Tech support. Manufacturing. Everyone plays a part in how we’re perceived.

And if people don’t know that, we’ve got a problem.

That’s why I started doing employee roundtables. No agenda. Just honest conversations. I ask questions, and I listen. Really listen.

One of my favorite examples: I spoke to a team member whose role involves using one of our products to build finished goods for our customers. Her equipment was over 10 years old and barely holding on. She wasn’t complaining—she was worried. About missing deadlines. About quality issues. About disappointing our customers.

Here’s the problem: she didn’t know or feel she could speak up.

Once she did, I sent her three new units—two to use and one as a spare. We also set up a repair flow to minimize downtime. Not a huge investment financially, but a massive one in trust. She lit up. Told her coworkers. Sent me a thank-you note. And most importantly? She felt seen. That’s the employee you want on your front line. Someone who cares so much about the customer that she finds a way until someone listens.

The lesson? People want to do great work. Most don’t wake up thinking, “I’m going to half-ass it today.” But somewhere between waking up and working, something breaks that connection between effort and impact.

Our job as leaders is to bridge that gap. Make the connection clear. Show how their work drives customer success. Reward the behavior that reinforces it. Say thank you. Often.

Because creating a culture where everyone matters isn’t a memo. It’s not a motivational poster. It’s work.

Here’s why:

People. Everyone—from leadership to the front line—has to believe it. And then they have to act like it. That means tough decisions. Sometimes, it means putting long-term values ahead of short-term wins. That’s not always easy when Wall Street—or your board—is driving you for numbers or your bonus is on the line.

Culture inertia. If your company wasn’t built this way from the start, it takes real effort (and time) to shift the mindset. You’ll feel it. Especially when legacy thinking collides with new expectations.

Ownership pressure. If your company is publicly traded, forget it—ok, don’t forget it, but recognize the system isn’t exactly built for patience or values-based decisions. Quarterly earnings calls have a way of pulling focus.

Constant vigilance. You have to define your values and then hire people who align with them. And more importantly, you have to let go of the ones who don’t. That’s the part no one likes to talk about—but it matters. One bad fit can poison the well. I’ve seen it happen, and I’ve had it happen. It doesn’t mean they are bad people; they just don’t fit, and the sooner you address it, the better - for you both.

And through all of that, you still need to lead. While running the business. Hitting the numbers. Dealing with the fires. That’s the problem. That’s why this is hard. And that’s why most companies fall short.

So… will this work?

Honestly? I don’t know. I haven’t reached nirvana. But I’ve been part of teams that got close. And those were some of the best working experiences of my career.

That’s why I keep pushing.

If you’ve seen this work—or better yet, if you’ve built it—I’d love to hear about it. Because this isn’t a one-size-fits-all blueprint. It’s a messy, human, ongoing effort. But if we get it right? That’s when work gets good, and we all succeed.

They take their job somewhere with a better view.

Laptop. iPad. Phone. Early email sessions. Mid-day “quick calls.” All in the name of being too important to unplug.

Here’s the truth:
If you can’t step away, the problem isn’t your job—it’s you.

I learned this the hard way.
My wife once told me I gave her the worst vacation of her life. She wasn’t wrong.

I was working the entire time. Thought I was killing it. I was actually killing the vacation.

Eventually, I changed. It took some trial runs, a little trust, and a hard look at how I led. But now, I take actual vacations. No laptop. No meetings. Just presence.

The Wake-Up Call

It was a trip to Miami. Our first vacation after our son was born.

I spent most of it on the phone—making deals, putting out fires, convinced that no one else could handle it.

At the end of the trip, my wife didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We just wasted a bunch of money so you could work remotely. This was the worst vacation I’ve ever had.”

And she was right.

The Half-Measure Phase

After that, I tried to do better.
I worked during “off hours.” I answered emails early in the morning. I tried to sneak in calls while she was doing something else.

What I really did?
I just got better at working vacations.

I was still cheating myself out of the mental space I needed.
Still cheating my family out of time they deserved.
Still pretending I had balance, while my phone sat between us at dinner.

The Shift

Eventually I realized:
I didn’t want to work on vacation—I wanted to stop thinking about work altogether.

So I tried something radical.

Before my next trip, I told my team:

“I'm going on vacation. I'm not bringing my laptop or iPad. I’ll have my phone—but only for emergencies. (And I mean real emergencies. Like the building burned down.) I trust you to make the call. I believe 99% of the time, you’ll make the same decision I would—and for the other 1%, you can call me.”

Now, I did bring the laptop and iPad that first time—but I never touched them.
I checked email a couple times on my phone - but didn’t respond.
And after a few days, I stopped checking altogether.

The Payoff

That was 7 years ago. And I’ve never looked back.

I was present. I relaxed. I reconnected.
And I realized how many years of family experiences I’d diluted by trying to be “just available enough.”

So if you’re still taking your job on vacation with you, here’s the hard truth—and the good news:

5 Things to Remember Before Your Next Trip

1. You’re not that important.
   If you won the lottery and quit, would the business fail? No? Then it can survive a week or two without you.

2. If you’ve built a strong team, act like it.
   Trust them. Empower them. They’ll grow from it—and you will too.

3. Almost every decision is fixable.
   Even the bad ones. Don’t let fear of mistakes be the reason you miss your life.

4. If you’re a micro-manager, get help.
   And I’m not joking.

5. If you’ve got FOMO, ask yourself why.
   That’s not hustle. That’s insecurity in a nicer suit.

Vacations matter.

Your body needs the rest. Your mind needs the space. Some of my best ideas have come after I stopped trying to think about work.

So, next time you write “Out of Office” in your email signature…

Mean it

.

It had been a couple of weeks since I got on the Peloton, and let’s just say the bike wasn't the only thing gathering dust. I’m not one of those faithful, seven-day-a-week riders—I’d like to be that guy, but then life shows up with a to-do list and says, “Not today.”

Here’s what I’ve learned about myself: when the schedule gets tight, my workout is the first thing to go. Not because I don’t care—but because I default to everything and everyone else. That’s why I don’t work out in a regular gym, and instead, I train in someone’s garage. (Yes, I have a trainer. No, it’s not as expensive as you’d think. More on that in a future post.) But the real trick? When I make an appointment with another person, I show up. No questions asked. That’s just how I’m wired.

Now, back to the bike.

Full disclosure: I never wanted a Peloton. We bought it for my wife, who actually likes spin classes. I was resistant. It looked like another trendy piece of gear destined to become an expensive clothes hanger. But eventually, I caved. I hopped on one day, earbuds in, and... I liked it. Like, actually liked it.

You have to find your instructors. You need the right music. But once you do, there’s something magic about tuning out the world and sweating it out in the bonus room.

And no, this isn’t some paid Peloton pitch. This is a pitch for you to make time for you. Whether it’s on a bike, with a trainer, or just walking your dog—whatever. Just make the time.

If you’re already on Peloton and want to connect (and maybe hold me accountable?), look me up: Game0nPeloton (with a zero). It’s always better to ride together, especially when life keeps throwing curveballs.

See you on the leaderboard.

That sounds cold. It’s not. It’s reality.

Too many leaders make the mistake of surrounding themselves with people they’re comfortable with. People who make the meetings easy. Who laugh at the same jokes. Who don’t push back too hard.

The problem?

That team doesn’t scale. That team doesn’t challenge the strategy. That team lets things slide because no one wants to challenge their “friends”.

There’s an old quote, and it’s one of my favorites:

“Vision without execution is hallucination.”

It hits even harder when you're trying to grow a business and your team is politely nodding at strategy slides they don’t actually believe in—or worse, don’t know how to execute.

Subscribe now

Your “First Team” Isn’t the One You Think It Is

Patrick Lencioni, in The Advantage, talks about a concept that changed the way I lead: Team 1.

It means this: the most important team for any executive isn’t their direct reports. It’s the leadership team they sit on.

Sounds simple. It’s not.

Because what happens when you’ve got a VP who’s more loyal to their own function than to the company strategy? Or when your CFO and Head of Sales act like they’re in different companies?

You get silos. You get competing agendas.
You get dysfunction in a really nice PowerPoint template.

Alignment Is a Full-Contact Sport

As a leader, you can try to dictate the strategy from the top.

But here’s the reality—once your business crosses a certain size, command and control stops working.

At my level, I’m not just driving the car—I’m also making sure the engine parts are working together, that the wheels are aligned, and that we’re all trying to go to the same place.

That takes real alignment. Not agreement—alignment.

We don’t have to all like the plan. But when we walk out of the room, we’re committed.
If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be on the team. Period.

The Pencil and the Blank Page

When I’m thinking about how to structure a team, I don’t start with people. I start with a pencil and a blank piece of paper.

I sketch out the structure we actually need.
Then I think about the pros and cons.
Only then do I look at the names of who I have.

And sometimes… they don’t fit.

Not because they’re bad people. They’re just not the right people for where we’re going.

The faster you come to grips with that, the faster things get better.

Leading Former Peers Is Awkward — Do It Anyway

One of the toughest parts of stepping into a bigger role is leading people who used to be your peers.
Your friends. Maybe even your happy hour crew.

Now you’re their boss. And suddenly, you see things differently. You see what they’re great at—and what they’re not. You see where their blind spots are. And you have to make the call.

Here’s the hard truth:

You’re not doing anyone any favors by keeping the wrong people in the wrong seats.

It slows the team down. It frustrates the high performers. And it burns you out trying to carry the weight of misalignment.

If I Could Go Back...

If I could go back and tell myself one thing when I took over as President for the first time, it would be this:

Get the team right. Fast.
Everything else starts there.

Subscribe now

🎯 Want to build your org the right way?

💡 Grab the exact checklist I use with my leadership team:

👉 [Download the Org Design Starter Checklist]

So I did what we did back then — I went to the library. I started digging into what backgrounds CEOs came from. The answer: engineering, sales, and product/marketing.

So I picked engineering.

Not because I loved it. I didn’t. I was just smart enough to excel in it, and I figured it was a solid launchpad. My dad was an engineer, and he did just fine. I also had something that made me a bit of an outlier: I could relate to people.

So naturally, I ended up in **technical sales** — a solid combo of engineering and conversation. Selling to engineers while speaking their language? A great start for my career.

A few years in, I revisited the plan. How do I actually become a CEO?

I pivoted into Product Management — where technical knowledge meets business need. From there, I moved through business development, international roles, and eventually into GM and VP roles in sales, product, and operations.

At that point, I thought I had it figured out.

Then I actually became a CEO.

And... yeah. I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did.

Here’s what surprised me most:

---

1. People actually listen to you. Like, really listen.

I’m not talking about nodding during a meeting. I mean they *hang on your words.* I’d casually say something and later hear, “Well, that’s what Steve wants.”

That was new.

It made me realize that as CEO, every word matters. You don’t get throwaway comments anymore. I had to learn to pause, think, and be intentional. Because people were interpreting what I said as direction — whether I meant it that way or not.

---

2. You can accidentally override the org chart.

People would come to me with questions I assumed they’d already asked their manager. I’d respond with something casual like “Yeah, that sounds fine,” and just like that, their boss was out of the loop.

I learned quickly: redirect them to their manager. If the CEO says yes, it becomes gospel. Even when it shouldn’t.

---

3. You're the Chief Culture Officer — whether you want to be or not.

I knew I’d be responsible for the company’s strategy and results. I didn’t fully appreciate that I’d also be the referee for turf wars and the one constantly reshaping the org chart.

I spend a huge amount of time on people. Getting the right ones in the right seats . Dealing with internal friction. Coaching. Unblocking. Realigning. Things no one talks about in your MBA.

Side note: only two people from my original leadership team are still with me; the right team matters!

---

4. Strategy is only part of the job.

Sure, I set strategy. I meet with major customers and suppliers. I own the P&L. That’s all real.

But I also spend time managing egos, defusing miscommunication, coaching leaders, and navigating human dynamics I didn’t even know existed when I was a VP.

It’s not just about what we do — it’s about how we do it, and how we work together.

---

5. The numbers aren’t optional.

I’ve always liked data, but as CEO, you have to live in it. Margins. Cost trends. Leading indicators. Operational KPIs. Lagging metrics. Unexpected leaks. If you're not paying attention, the business bleeds slowly and quietly.

I don’t need to be a CFO. But I need to see the battlefield — and protect my flanks.

---

6. You have to be the company’s biggest cheerleader — and its most honest voice.

This is one of the toughest balancing acts I’ve had to learn.

People want inspiration. They want to feel like everything’s going to be okay.

But they also need truth. If performance is down or morale is slipping, you can’t sugarcoat it — but you also can’t send everyone into a panic spiral.

You have to speak with clarity, not chaos. And you need to help your team see the challenge *and* believe they’re capable of overcoming it.

---

Final Thought

I thought being a CEO would be about vision, strategy, and high-stakes decisions.

And it is.

But it’s also about people, pressure, nuance, communication, cash flow, politics, culture, and wearing a few hundred hats — most of which don’t fit.

I’ve learned that “being in charge” mostly means being responsible — for the business, the people in it, and the culture you allow to take root.

And no one gives you a playbook.

But if you’re in the seat — or trying to get there — just know you’re not the only one learning as you go.

---

If this hit close to home, subscribe.

I’m sharing more leadership lessons, gear recs, travel finds, and life-in-the-C-suite takes every week.

Sometimes insightful. Sometimes funny. Always real.

When I first became a CEO, I didn’t have a guidebook (spoiler alert: there’s no college degree in being a CEO). I didn’t have a CEO support network. Everything I thought I knew about the job? Maybe 25–30% was right.

> They say it’s lonely at the top. And yep, they’re right.

But over the past four years, I’ve found my footing. I’ve gained confidence, found a community, and built a circle of people I can lean on — not just to help *me* grow, but to help my company prosper.

I take that seriously. Because behind every decision are the livelihoods of our employees and their families. That’s not lost on me.

At the same time, I’ve got a wife who’s my partner and biggest supporter in every sense. And I’m navigating life as a father to two amazing boys:

- One, who’s on the autism spectrum — thriving now and going for a master’s in counseling to help other kids. He was misdiagnosed and misunderstood for years until we finally found the right team to guide him — and us.

- The other, about to graduate in computer science (hire him before someone else does — he’s amazing with where AI meets programming).

Needless to say, I got lucky with my family!

With all that (and, let’s be honest, the bills that come with it), I kind of let myself go. During COVID, I gained the *actual* COVID 19… pounds.

Mid-50s metabolism is not ideal. So I decided to get my life back on track — fitness, focus, all of it. It’s easier said than done, but I’m working on it. More on that soon.

And because apparently I hate myself, I picked up golf. The most humbling, mind-melting hobby ever created. But hey, I’m chasing 80 (not even close) and having fun trying. New clubs are next on the agenda - because every golfer knows: it’s the clubs, not the swing.

I’ve also been to 90+ countries in my career. I love travel, new cultures, and the kind of food that makes you question your life choices. I still hit the road regularly — and I’ll share what I find worth seeing (and eating).

Tying all of this together, I’ll also be reviewing the tools I actually use — for work, travel, wellness, and fun — and giving honest feedback. No BS, just what works for me and might work for you.

If any of this resonates — leadership, burnout, reinvention, gear, golf, parenting, real life — you’re in the right place.

Let’s grow together. Laugh a little. And if I can save you from making even one of the mistakes I’ve already made… then it’s worth it.

---

**Subscribe to get new posts on leadership, life, fitness, gear, golf fails, and everything in between.**

*Thanks for reading — and welcome to the journey.*

Subscribe now