One of the hardest truths for growth-stage CEOs to accept is that their biggest job isn’t jumping in to fix problems—it’s structuring the org so problems fix themselves.  

I once heard the definition of insanity was doing the same thing but expecting different results.  It takes me back to my undergraduate lab days—mixing the same ingredients in those tiny adorable beakers and how predictable the reactions were.  It's not magic, it's science!

I’m one of those weirdos who ADORES annual goal setting. By November, I start chipping away at next year’s focus, and over Christmas, I bring it all together in one place.

This summer, my friend Cati shared how hiring a personal trainer was the best investment she’s made. She’s gotten super strong and knows strength is imminently important to future Cati's health. It made me think about how we invest in tools, but we need support to actually get results.

Ever feel like you're missing out on results because you haven’t found the “right” person or system? I do this with fitness all the time. I think I'm not massively jacked because I haven't found the right gym situation that works for me. But it's not really the gym. It's the application of my gym membership(s).

I came across something online recently called "October Theory" - the idea that Oct. 1st feels like a mini New Year's.  There’s this sense that the year’s wrapping up, but with three months left there’s still time to make a final strong push toward your goals. 

Most CEOs know exactly what their challenges are, but it seems like there are never enough resources to solve them.  Here's a secret though - big wins can begin in the next 15 minutes.

In my experience, CEOs are well aware of their challenges, but how they handle them makes all the difference—some take control, others let challenges control them. The key difference is making space to act.

"Our minds prefer false certainty to uncertainty.  Faith is living in that place of uncertainty." - Matthew Kelly

5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni talks about the hallmarks of a struggling business: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.  

A great leader proactively builds their team's cohesiveness. They critically evaluate current team interactions and anticipate how the team will evolve in the next three years if no course corrections are made. They identify the biggest pain point and tackle it head-on, immediately.

"Failure is not embarrassing. It is not a roadblock. It is the road."  -Colin Rosenblum

When he was in his early 50s, Father Tom Mullin was asked to found our church parish.  He started with a handful of people, saying Mass in school gyms, fire halls, and synagogues until the church could be built 6 years later.

Just like with my sellers, the only way to succeed is to get them more excited about the future opportunity than they are about the present state.  Then they'll put in the work needed (or turn it over to someone else to put in the work.)

Spanx founder Sara Blakely conceived her billion-dollar idea while selling fax machines door to door.  She kept it secret for two years as she built it, sharing only with those critical to its success.  

Balance is a state of equilibrium that creates stability and harmony in a system.  While “balance” is a worthy pursuit, the reality of leadership is tension. Tension is an action-reaction pair of forces that creates a state of stress within a system. The result is either growth or breakdown.

Big growth is massively compounded by great leadership, not great do-ership.  Unfortunately, the stress that accompanies growth often creates chaos and causes most leaders to throw themselves back into the weeds to get things done.  

"Chase the heal, not the hurt."  This quote perfectly summarized the root of a few conversations this week, so I'm pondering why we so often chase the hurt.

Patrick Lencioni has a fantastic (short) book called The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team.  The first dysfunction?  The absence of trust.