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The Business Strategist With Adam StrongThe Business Strategist is the ultimate podcast for founders, CEOs, and business owners looking to scale, grow, and exit their businesses successfully Author: Adam Strong
The Business Strategist is the ultimate podcast for entrepreneurs, founders and business owners looking to scale, grow, and exit their businesses successfully. Hosted by Adam Strong, an award-winning strategist with over 30 years of industry experience and three times best selling author. Each episode delivers actionable business advice, practical tools, and insights to help you build a thriving enterprise. Whether you want to master leadership, craft a winning exit strategy, or implement proven scaling techniques, this podcast has you covered. With expert interviews, real-world case studies, and a focus on achieving business freedom, the business strategist is your go-to resource for taking your business to the next level. Tune in every week for new episodes designed to inspire, educate, and empower your entrepreneurial journey. Adam's Contact details LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Is your business ready to run without you? Take the 2-minute Exit Readiness Assessment a fast, strategic scorecard for founders who want to scale, sell, or step back without becoming the bottleneck. Get instant insights across leadership, systems, marketing, and more. Click here to take the assessment: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Why Great Founders Make Terrible CEOs (And How To Fix It)
Episode 389
Wednesday, 22 April, 2026
What if the habits that built my business are the exact ones holding it back?I sat down with John Spence, one of the world's leading voices on leadership and the former CEO of the Rockefeller Foundation, to find out why so many founders hit an invisible ceiling they can't punch through.We got into the four silent killers behind every stuck business, the uncomfortable truth about why most founders quietly become their own bottleneck, and the specific mindset shift that separates the ones who scale and exit from the ones who stay stuck for a decade.5 KEY TAKEAWAYSThe four silent killers behind every stuck businessWhy founder instincts quietly become CEO liabilitiesThe three year process of replacing yourself (most founders rush it)Why AQ (adaptability) now beats IQ and EQ at the topThe five pillars behind every company that scales and exits cleanly.Interested in freeing yourself in the business? Book a brief call to see if the exit ready diagnostics session is for you. https://link.adamstrong.net/widget/bookings/strategy-121Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Scaling Challenges06:30 Identifying Patterns in Business Plateauing09:56 Strategic Shifts for Founders11:32 Defining Professional Management13:34 Finding the Right Replacement17:27 Counterintuitive Mistakes of Founders20:06 Key Areas for Business Differentiation21:46 Psychological Blind Spots in Leadership25:11 Lessons from Early Leadership Experience28:05 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence28:38 Accountability in Leadership30:49 Mindset Shifts for Overcoming Plateaus36:03 Purpose-Driven Leadership37:36 The Impact of Leadership on Employee Lives39:44 Curiosity and Uncomfortable Questions in Leadership42:56 The Five-Step Framework for Business Excellence45:33 People First: The Core of Business Success48:34 Identifying and Addressing Performance Issues49:25 The Evolution of Leadership Frameworks51:47 A Live Coaching Session: Overcoming Frustrations01:02:52 Legacy and Leading with LoveABOUT THE GUESTWebsite: https://johnspence.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbspence/FB: https://www.facebook.com/johnspenceleadership/ Book: https://amzn.eu/d/cDzEDUyABOUT THE HOSTLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrongWebsite: https://adamstrong.netYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong
