The CEO Identity Shift: 7 moves to become the leader your business needs

You didn’t start a business to answer every Slack, fix every fire, and live on the hamster wheel of “urgent.” Yet here you are—busy, helpful, and quietly annoyed that growth still leans on you. That’s not a hustle problem; it’s an identity problem. CEOs make different choices because they see themselves differently. My job is to help you put that identity on—daily—so the business runs because of your leadership, not your late nights. Helpful isn’t the job—leadership is. Let’s move with focus and decisiveness. A quick story: the founder plateau that wasn’t about revenue A founder I coached hovered at the same revenue for four straight quarters. She was “helpful” everywhere—jumping into ops, cleaning up sales follow-up, tweaking onboarding—then ending every week behind. We didn’t add more tools. We upgraded identity: from chief firefighter to CEO. She named three company outcomes, shifted decisions to her leads with a simple brief, and protected two weekly CEO blocks. Six weeks later, old loops were closed, handoffs sped up, and she finally had space to drive the next move. (I’ve seen this play lift leaders into executive roles, too. Identity first, systems second—results follow.) Trade control for cadence. The CEO identity playbook (7 moves) 1) Write your 90-day CEO job description (one page, three outcomes) Operators list tasks. CEOs own outcomes. Grab a page and finish these lines: “In the next 90 days, the business will improve by…” (name three outcomes: faster cash cycle, lower churn, one new channel live). “Only I can…” (the few decisions only you should make). “I will stop doing…” (two tasks you’ll transfer this week). This is your identity contract. Post it where you work. Review it every Friday. If your calendar doesn’t change, nothing changes. Kole cue: “Decide once, automate twice.” 2) Wear the three essential CEO hats—on purpose Architect: Turn vision into an operating plan. What will be true by quarter-end, and who owns it? Allocator: Place time, money, and people where they matter most. Fund focus; starve distractions. Amplifier: Model the values, tell the story, and reinforce the behaviors you want repeated. Block time for each hat weekly. If your calendar shows only Operator work, your identity will, too. Be the coach, not the clutch. 3) Install two weekly CEO blocks (treat them like payroll) Two repeating 90-minute blocks. Same times every week. Numbers & Narrative: Review five key metrics and ask, “What story do these numbers tell?” Make one decision before you close the tab. People & Decisions: 15-minute 1:1 with a lead, move one stuck decision, and recognize one specific win. No reschedules unless the building is literally on fire. If it can move once, it can move forever. 4) Use a one-page decision brief (then let the owner decide) For anything over your time/dollar threshold, require a one-pager: Issue & stakes (what it is, why it matters) Options with risks Recommendation Owner & deadline Your job? Pressure-test the thinking, then approve or adjust. Their job? Decide and drive. This grows leaders and buys back your brain. Kole cue: “Bring me the brief, not the backstory.” 5) Delegate outcomes, not tasks (say the quiet part out loud) Tasks boomerang. Outcomes grow owners. Use this script: Outcome: Reduce onboarding time from 14 → 10 days by Nov 30. Guardrails: Keep our tone standards; don’t change pricing. Resources: Ops analyst 5 hrs/week; $1,500 for tooling. Checkpoints: Tuesdays, 15 minutes. I’m here to unblock, not to do. Then step back. If you keep “just checking,” you’re training dependence. 6) Build a simple leadership scoreboard (visible beats perfect) Pick five measures that prove the business is healthier and share them weekly: Win rate or MRR growth Cash in/cash out (and days in AR) Delivery cycle time or on-time rate Churn or NPS Team capacity or hiring pipeline Leaders can’t steer in fog. Make progress visible and decisions get faster. Kole cue: “If it matters, it’s measured; if it’s measured, it moves.” 7) Protect energy like it’s a P&L line Your personal battery is a business asset. Simple rules win: Three non-negotiables (sleep window, movement, one protected family block) One off-grid block each week to think, not react Quarterly recovery day to review, reset, and plan No trophies for burnout. Results count; exhaustion doesn’t. Common identity traps (and better choices) “It’s faster if I do it.” Maybe today. Expensive tomorrow. Trade speed now for scale later. “I’ll wait for the perfect plan.” Perfection is procrastination in a suit. Pick a good plan and review weekly. “My team isn’t ready.” They won’t be if you never let them own outcomes. Coach, equip, step back. 7-Day Action (do this now) Day 1: Write your one-page CEO job description (three outcomes). Day 2: Block two weekly CEO sessions (numbers; people/decisions). Day 3: Choose five metrics for your leadership scoreboard and publish them to the team. Day 4: Delegate one outcome using the script