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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 TAKEAWAYS The 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-121 Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Scaling Challenges 06:30 Identifying Patterns in Business Plateauing 09:56 Strategic Shifts for Founders 11:32 Defining Professional Management 13:34 Finding the Right Replacement 17:27 Counterintuitive Mistakes of Founders 20:06 Key Areas for Business Differentiation 21:46 Psychological Blind Spots in Leadership 25:11 Lessons from Early Leadership Experience 28:05 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence 28:38 Accountability in Leadership 30:49 Mindset Shifts for Overcoming Plateaus 36:03 Purpose-Driven Leadership 37:36 The Impact of Leadership on Employee Lives 39:44 Curiosity and Uncomfortable Questions in Leadership 42:56 The Five-Step Framework for Business Excellence 45:33 People First: The Core of Business Success 48:34 Identifying and Addressing Performance Issues 49:25 The Evolution of Leadership Frameworks 51:47 A Live Coaching Session: Overcoming Frustrations 01:02:52 Legacy and Leading with Love ABOUT THE GUEST Website: https://johnspence.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbspence/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/johnspenceleadership/ Book: https://amzn.eu/d/cDzEDUy ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

8 years ago I packed up my life in the UK and moved to Sweden to start a family. I thought my business would run without me. It didn't. Everything fell apart and it forced me to confront something most founders never want to admit.  In this episode I'm getting brutally honest about what actually happened, the mindset shifts that changed everything and the three things I'd do differently if I was starting from scratch tomorrow. In this episode I cover: Why moving countries destroyed the business I thought I'd builtThe two mindset shifts that finally got me unstuckWhat nobody in the industry warns you aboutThe one question that tells you exactly where your business stands right now Listen to this episode if: You're making every decision in your business and it's eating you aliveYou've ever wondered whether your business could survive without youYou want to know the difference between a one person business and a one person prison I built a six figure business that looked great on paper but nearly broke me behind the scenes. This is the real story and the blueprint I wish someone had given me years ago. 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-121 Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrd ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

70% of her revenue was tied to one person. The buyer walked away. I sat across the table from a founder a few months ago. Seven-figure business, great team, 25 years of graft. Within 20 minutes of looking under the hood, I had to tell her the business was essentially worthless to a buyer. Not because the numbers were bad — because she was the business. When the buyer dug into due diligence, they discovered 75% of the revenue was tied to her personal relationships. The deal collapsed. And the worst part? She had no idea — because she'd been telling herself the same five lies I hear from almost every founder I work with. In this episode I break down all five, using real examples from my advisory work. I walk through the founder revenue test, the 90-day vanish test, and why your expertise might actually be your biggest liability when a buyer comes knocking. I also share why the founders who build truly sellable businesses always tell me the same thing afterwards — "I wish I'd done this five years ago." Not because they wanted to sell sooner, but because the business became so much better the moment they stopped being the bottleneck. If even one of these lies sounds familiar, you've got work to do before you go anywhere near an exit. Take my free Exit Readiness Assessment — it takes two minutes and shows you exactly where the gaps are: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com Enjoyed today’s episode? Leave a review over on Apple or Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 https://open.spotify.com/show/4vKVMmsZ4MwVooQOlEAzrd ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

Blockbuster asked how do we make more money. Netflix asked how do we give people better entertainment. One question built an empire. The other killed one. So which question is your business asking right now? In this episode I sit down with Lisa Earle McLeod, the woman who literally wrote the book on purpose driven business. She's worked with Google, Hilton and some of the smartest founders on the planet and what she told me completely flipped how I think about profit, purpose and why so many business owners end up stuck on a hamster wheel they built themselves.  We get into the real reason businesses get commoditised, why your proposals aren't landing the fees you deserve and what separates founders who exit rich from those who just burn out.  Five reasons to listen Understand why purpose and profit aren't two separate things and why treating them that way is costing you moneyHow Hilton used one sentence from their founder to become the number one workplace in hospitality and smash profit records at the same timeYou'll hear the three questions every founder needs to ask this week to uncover a purpose that actually drives revenueWhy most business owners have built themselves a glorified job and what to do if that's you right nowLisa coaches me live and calls out the one thing missing from how I talk about my own business and how it can apply in yours. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Purpose-Driven Businesses and Their Impact 03:47 Common Mistakes When Scaling Businesses 07:31 Hilton's Purpose and Differentiation Strategy 10:16 The Relationship Between Purpose and Profitability 14:25 How Small Firms Can Activate Purpose Easily 18:03 Embedding Purpose into Business Operations 22:09 Preparing Your Business for Sale and Exit 26:52 Practical Exercises to Define Purpose 31:26 Pricing and Value-Based Fees 35:11 The Risks of Not Having a Clear Purpose 38:49 Stories That Illustrate Purpose in Action 42:34 Reigniting Passion and Purpose in Business Leaders 46:16 The Emotional Connection to Business Impact 49:12 Final Thoughts and Practical Takeaways We’ve been nominated for podcast of the year, if you enjoy the show we would love your nomination. It only takes 30 secs: https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/annual_awards/voting?cat=3&scat=27 ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaearlemcleod/ Website - https://www.lisaearlemcleod.com/resources Book: Leading with Noble Purpose by Lisa Earle McLeod - https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Noble-Purpose-Transform-Organizations/dp/1119546794 ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

What if the real reason your business is stalling has nothing to do with your strategy? I sat down with Michael King, executive coach, keynote speaker and recording artist with over 100 published songs. The leaders he works with, the ones hitting burnout, losing sales and watching their teams fall apart, they all share the same root problem. And it's not what you think.  Michael has spent close to 20 years coaching high performing entrepreneurs and top level executives, and he's built a framework called the TEAMS Method that flips conventional leadership advice on its head.  In this episode he walks me through his Identity Matrix, explains why your strategy will never work without clarity on who you actually are, and reveals how he combines original music and cinematic film to unlock breakthroughs in the boardroom.  Five reasons you need to listen to this episode: Learn why 80% of leaders are starting their day in completely the wrong placeDiscover the one question that exposes whether you have an identity problem or an energy problemGet a full walkthrough of the TEAMS Method and how to apply it this weekFind out why feelings come before awareness and why that order matters for lasting changeHear the rule Michael follows every single day to protect himself from burning out We’ve been nominated for podcast of the year, if you enjoy the show we would love your nomination. It only takes 30 secs: https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/annual_awards/voting?cat=3&scat=27 ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Book a call with the founder of Xentum Dominic Baldwin, limited spaces!  Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk/ ABOUT THE GUEST www.michaelkingjr.com www.teams.coach www.facebook.com/michaelrkingjr75 x.com/michaelkingjr www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkingjr75/ www.instagram.com/michaelkingjrofficial/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

Less Than 18% of Businesses Ever Sell. Will Yours Be One of Them? I sat down with Bill Snow, a 30 year veteran of mergers and acquisitions, author of Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies, and someone who has been in the trenches of hundreds of deals across multiple industries.  What he told me completely changed how I think about buying and selling businesses.  If you are planning an exit or looking to make your first acquisition, this one is not to be missed. 5 Reasons To Listen The hidden deal killers that are silently destroying your valuation right nowWhy chasing the highest price could be the worst decision you ever makeThe three things every buyer must have before approaching a single targetThe one part of buying a business that nobody talks about and why it breaks most dealsWhy your cash flow statement matters more than your EBITDA and what it is really telling buyers about you We’ve been nominated for podcast of the year, if you enjoy the show we would love your nomination. It only takes 30 secs: Click here Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mergers and Acquisitions 04:03 Bill Snow's Journey in M&A 06:51 Understanding Investment Banking 09:41 The Challenges of Selling vs. Buying 12:31 The Importance of Exit Strategies 15:02 Hidden Deal Killers in M&A 17:37 Customer Concentration Risks 20:38 Valuation and Seller Expectations 23:14 The Role of EBITDA in Valuation 25:53 Cash Flow vs. EBITDA 29:32 Preparing for a Sale 32:32 Conclusion and Insights from M&A for Dummies 35:47 Understanding Mergers and Acquisitions Frameworks 38:39 The M&A Process: Search, Negotiate, Finance 42:15 Finding Hidden Opportunities in M&A 43:17 The Myth of Revenue Growth and Valuation 45:08 Identifying the Ideal Buyer 47:46 Building a Business with the Buyer in Mind 50:25 Coaching Session: Strategies for Acquisition 58:37 The Art of M&A: Offering Value, Not Just Asking 01:02:21 Understanding Pain Points in Business transactions 01:04:01 Upcoming Book: The Gimme Chronicle ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Book a call with the founder of Xentum Dominic Baldwin, limited spaces!  Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk/ ABOUT THE GUEST Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies Bill Snow's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billsnow/ Bill Snow's upcoming book 'Gimme Chronicle' ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

What if two broke brothers with just £18 between them could build a multi-million pound agency in under three years, almost entirely through LinkedIn? I sat down with Niall Ratcliffe, 24, who along with his brother Morgan did exactly that, starting from a spare room in Burnley with no investors, no fancy degree and no safety net.  In this episode Niall pulls back the curtain on the exact LinkedIn strategies the fastest growing B2B brands in Europe are quietly using behind the scenes, and nobody is talking about online. We also do a live profile roast, and yes, my own LinkedIn takes a few hits along the way. Five reasons to listen: Niall reveals the three step revenue system that took his agency from £18 to a six figure run rate in just 11 days, and why most people are treating LinkedIn like the wrong platform entirely He breaks down the secret shift happening inside B2B marketing right now, including how leading companies are using AI and automation to steal competitor leads and trigger conversations at exactly the right moment Learn why posting more content does not mean earning more leads, and how to split your strategy between growth content and nurture content to actually drive revenue Niall shares the single highest converting LinkedIn message his agency has ever sent, and it is far simpler than anyone expects The live LinkedIn profile roast gives listeners a rare, unfiltered look at what a top agency founder would fix first on any profile, from banners and headlines to the most underused piece of prime real estate on the platform. Enjoy the show? Please subscribe/ follow the show and leave a 1 or 5 star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 Chapters 00:00 The Rise of a Multi-Million Pound Agency 02:43 From Working Class to Entrepreneurs 05:38 Discovering the Power of LinkedIn 08:50 Identifying Market Gaps and Opportunities 11:34 Debunking LinkedIn Myths 14:23 Building Authority vs. Driving Revenue 17:24 The Three-Step LinkedIn Strategy 20:15 Engagement and Intent on LinkedIn 23:21 B2B Strategies and Market Shifts 26:31 The Rise of AI in B2B Conversations 31:10 Understanding Sales Signals 34:58 Cutting Through the Noise on LinkedIn 40:18 Coaching and Profile Optimisation 50:31 Optimising Your LinkedIn Profile 53:38 Crafting an Effective About Section 56:50 The Importance of Authentic Content 01:00:16 Balancing Broad and Narrow Content 01:04:32 Key Takeaways and Upcoming Masterclass ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Book a call with the founder of Xentum Dominic Baldwin, limited spaces!  Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk/ ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niall-ratcliffe/ Join us for this FREE workshop on B2B marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7432705315810410497/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever noticed how your leadership style flips under pressure—sometimes you micromanage, sometimes you retreat, sometimes you charge ahead like you're putting out fires?  That reaction isn’t random. It’s driven by an invisible operating system that's been with you since birth. In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Rory Kilmartin—relationship researcher and founder of the Archetypal Relationship Academy to explore a groundbreaking framework for decoding human behaviour through four archetypes: the gorilla, the wolf, the fox, and the sheep.  Rory’s 19 years of research reveals how your dominant archetype influences your leadership, relationships, and even who you hire (or fire). If you’re serious about improving the way you lead, communicate, and understand your team—and yourself—this one’s a game-changer. Ready to exit your business but not sure where to start? Take the exit readiness diagnostics test and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: ⁠https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com⁠ Chapters 00:00 Understanding Leadership Under Pressure 05:45 Introduction to Relationship Archetypes 11:07 Exploring the Four Archetypes 22:20 The Origins of Archetypal Nature 34:17 Applying Archetypes in Leadership 36:11 Navigating Business with a Long-Term Vision 38:32 Understanding Archetypes in Business 42:17 Case Studies: Transforming Teams through Archetypal Wisdom 45:10 Dynamic Nature of Archetypes in Personal and Professional Life 48:47 The Importance of Self-Awareness and Transitioning Roles 51:26 Leveraging Archetypes for Effective Leadership 56:18 Building Trust and Understanding in Teams 01:01:03 The Heart of Business: Understanding Team Dynamics 01:02:48 Conclusion: The Power of Relationships in Success ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Take the cash out with confidence assessment to see how close you are to your dream exit number.  Visit: https://cash-out-with-confidence.scoreapp.com Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk ABOUT THE GUEST ⁠https://www.facebook.com/rorykilmartin⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rorykilmartin/⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/rorykilmartin⁠ ⁠https://x.com/RoryKilmartin⁠ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The LinkedIn Top Voice badge is the most addictive distraction on the platform. The real question is how much time, energy and opportunity have you already lost chasing it? I held the LinkedIn Top Voice badge for over two years and recently lost it. My first reaction? It felt like my credibility had been stripped away overnight.  But then something unexpected happened. My business grew. Better clients, more conversations, more revenue.  So I started asking myself whether being part of the top voice programme had any real benefits at all. In this episode I pull back the curtain on the biggest myth in LinkedIn marketing and share exactly what I've been doing instead to turn organic content into real business growth. Five Takeaways Learn why the LinkedIn Top Voice badge attracts cold spammers far more than it attracts your ideal clients Discover how LinkedIn's new 360 Brew AI system actually works and how to use it to get miles ahead of the badge chasers Improve your content strategy with a proven framework covering which days to post, how often and why quality will always beat quantity Understand how staying in your lane and speaking directly to a specific pain point converts far better than broadcasting to a wide audience Learn how to split test your content using real metrics to identify exactly what is driving revenue and what to cut immediately Enjoy the show? Please subscribe/ follow the show and leave a 1 or 5 star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The Badge and Credibility Myth 00:26 Adam's Experience with Losing the Top Voice Badge 00:52 Why the Badge Doesn't Boost the Algorithm 02:09 Myth: More DMs from Potential Clients 03:01 Myth: VIP Treatment for Top Voices 03:57 The Badge Is Not a Lifetime Achievement 04:53 The Small Pool of Top Voice Holders 06:14 The Distraction of the Badge and Better Prospects 07:59 The New 360 AI System on LinkedIn 09:19 Profile Optimisation Tips: Headlines and Photos 14:06 Posting Frequency and Content Quality 16:21 Using Personal Stories to Engage Audience 17:27 Staying in Your Niche and Focused Content 18:45 Experimentation and Content Testing 20:27 Creating Content that Sparks Discussion 21:48 Articulating Your Value and Contrarian Content 23:35 Final Thoughts: Quality Over Quantity 24:29 Join the Community and Final Remarks ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Take the cash out with confidence assessment to see how close you are to your dream exit number.  Visit: https://cash-out-with-confidence.scoreapp.com Website: https://www.xentum.co.uk/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the reason you are not growing has nothing to do with your product and everything to do with the fact you sound like every other business in your space? In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Les Evans, who I have called the marketing disruptor for years. He has spent two decades transforming misfits, mavericks and outsiders into businesses that cannot be duplicated.  We unpack why most founders have nothing new to say, why shouting louder is not the solution, and how one small distinction can change how the market experiences you.  If you feel like the best kept secret in your industry, this conversation will challenge how you think about differentiation, positioning, and building a true category of one business. Les Evans is a former CEO of a 9 figure investment fund, strategic advisor and author of ‘Uncopyable’.  Five Reasons to Listen Discover the shift that stops you competing on better and puts you in a league of your own Hear the uncomfortable truth behind why most founders blend in, even with a great offer Learn the simple distinction that can make your business instantly more memorable Unpack the psychology that makes your audience feel seen without you trying to be controversial Steal the pitch approach that sparks tell me more and turns attention into real demand Enjoy the show? Please subscribe/ follow the show and leave a 1 or 5 star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-business-strategist-with-adam-strong/id1518654325 Chapters 00:00 The Unreplicatable Business Model 02:14 Les Evans: The Marketing Disruptor 02:54 Personal Evolution and Transformation 04:30 The Biggest Mistake Business Owners Make 04:47 The Importance of Originality in Business 07:41 The Challenge of Differentiation 09:56 Creating a Category of One 11:33 The Misconception of Leads Problems 12:42 Understanding Why Customers Choose You 16:38 Positioning vs. Authority in Business 21:13 Critique of the Coaching Industry 25:16 Neuroscience and Pattern Recognition 31:06 The Origin of Uncopyable Methodology 32:19 Transforming Commodities into Unique Offerings 33:40 Defining the Best: A New Perspective 35:31 Creating Your Own Landscape 36:49 Harnessing Constraints for Creativity 38:15 The Fear of Judgment in Business 39:02 Audacity in Entrepreneurship 40:57 Making Boring Businesses Memorable 48:14 Mindset Shifts for Business Growth 53:35 The Challenge of the 29-Second Pitch 56:53 Understanding Human Communication in Networking 58:16 Creating Curiosity and Humor in Introductions 01:01:31 Crafting Unique and Engaging Openers 01:05:00 The Psychology of Decision-Making in Business 01:07:23 The Importance of Playfulness in Professional Settings 01:09:48 Embracing Originality and Authenticity 01:13:50 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Talk to Xentum financial planning to get your exit number.  Visit: https://cash-out-with-confidence.scoreapp.com/ ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-evans-uncopyable/ https://www.facebook.com/LesEvansOfficial https://reallesevans.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are we buried in Slack messages and back-to-back Zooms but feeling lonelier than ever? Dr. Michelle K. Johnston just co-wrote a book with Marshall Goldsmith that exposes the hidden crisis destroying teams—and it starts with you. Dr. Michelle K. Johnston's back with a warning: we're going down a dark path. She just co-wrote The Seismic Shift in You with legendary executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, and they reckon most leaders are sleepwalking into disaster. This isn't about work-life balance or time management. It's about why your best people are quietly quitting, why you're knackered despite smashing targets, and why technology is making us lonelier whilst pretending to connect us. 5 Reasons to Listen The disconnection epidemic - why scrolling hits dopamine but starves you of oxytocin (and why that's making you physically ill) The "what vs who" trap - how achievement addiction leads to premature death, heart disease, and leaders who feel empty at the top The 7 necessary shifts - including the one that makes successful executives defensive because it threatens their entire identity Real cost of disconnection - the executive whose doctor said he'd die young, and why his company's about to lose him to burnout Practical tools for tomorrow - connection walks, calendar audits, and why your Friday afternoon Zoom meetings are killing creativity Enjoy the show? Please subscribe/ follow the show and leave a 1 or 5 star review Chapters 00:00 The Paradox of Connection and Disconnection 02:52 The Seismic Shift in Leadership 05:41 Understanding Loneliness and Its Impact 08:39 Generational Perspectives on Work and Leadership 11:04 The Courage to Connect 13:58 Shifting Beliefs in Leadership 16:52 The Importance of Individual Responsibility 19:55 The Shift from Achievement to Relationships 22:36 Creating a Culture of Connection 25:31 Practical Steps for Connection 28:24 The Cost of Disconnection 31:06 Final Thoughts on Connection and Leadership ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Talk to Xentum financial planning to get your exit number.  Visit: https://cash-out-with-confidence.scoreapp.com ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ ABOUT THE GUEST Website: WWW.MICHELLEKJOHNSTON.COM Amazon: https://a.co/d/00XEIBBn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-johnston-ph-d-0264b5b/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the thing making you feel most needed in your business is actually the thing stopping it from growing? I sit down with Bill Flynn, someone who's survived IPOs, acquisitions and proper business chaos, to unpack the hero trap. If you're the one who fixes everything, closes every deal and makes every decision, this one's for you.  It feels productive. It feels like leadership. But it quietly turns you into the bottleneck.  We talk about why leaders default back to control mode when pressure hits, why most leadership advice doesn't work in the real world, and what it looks like when your team stops waiting for permission and starts running things without you. Bill is the the Author of the best selling book 'Further, Faster' and is part of the Marshall Goldsmith's 100 coaches community. Five Reasons to Listen Learn how to spot when you've become the answer to everything and what that costs your team Improve decision making so people can move fast without needing you in every conversation Break the firefighting cycle and stop being the centre of every problem and approval Build simple structure that makes your business feel calmer, sharper and easier to scale Get your time back by cutting the work that drains you using a simple love and loathe filter Want to exit your business but unsure where to start? Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: ⁠https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com⁠ Chapters 00:00 The Hero Trap: Understanding Leadership Challenges 09:36 The Shift from Controller to Builder 18:42 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Leadership 27:53 Breaking the Cycle of Hero Addiction 33:41 Transitioning into Marketing Leadership 35:04 Creating Structures for Effective Leadership 38:49 The Importance of Meeting Protocols 39:53 Influential Voices in Leadership 42:22 Defining True Leadership 43:03 Coaching Session: Shifting Mindsets 45:39 Crafting a Compelling Vision 49:36 The Art of Storytelling in Vision 55:17 Energy Management for Leaders 59:11 Preview of Upcoming Book ABOUT OUR SPONSORWorried if your exit number is enough to fund your lifestyle after exiting your business? Take the cash out with confidence assessment and identify the gaps in your wealth plan. Go to:  https://cash-out-with-confidence.scoreapp.com ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billflynnpublic/ Full CBA assessment for facilitators and leaders - https://catalystgrowthadvisors.com/cba-assessment-download-enter-email-here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most founders are wasting a fortune on tools promising to shift the needle but instead it is quietly killing their growth. This episode exposes why personality testing, competency models, and culture fit interviews often fail and what to replace them with if you want a team that actually delivers. In this episode, I sit down with Barry Wolfe, an HR veteran with 30 years in the trenches helping founders and CEOs solve the people problems that stall growth. We go beyond generic HR and get into why businesses keep hiring great people who still do not perform, why teams break at certain revenue ceilings, and how leaders accidentally become the bottleneck. Barry shares his value centric leadership approach, showing how to define roles by outcomes, improve hiring interviews, and align performance to the results that drive business growth. If you want to build a high performing team, improve employee retention, and scale without everything running through you, this conversation will challenge how you think about talent management. Five takeaways: why you should listen Why great CVs and strong interviews still fail and the real reason good people do not work out after 6 to 8 months The most expensive hiring mistake founders and CEOs make and why smart leaders keep repeating it The one thing to define before the interview starts: the 3 to 5 value added deliverables you need in the first 12 months How to shift from managing actions to rewarding outcomes so roles are defined by what people deliver and performance becomes measurable The first document to create if you are the bottleneck: define your key value drivers and business results so the whole team aligns and execution stops running through you. Let’s be real — if you’re drowning in day-to-day crap, you’ll never scale or exit. Learn how to stop being your own bottleneck and start leading like a boss. Download this playbook for free, no email required and no BS. Grab it now: https://adamstrong.notion.site/The-Exit-Playbook-Shift-from-Operator-to-Visionary-Leader-220f5f71e63b80bc91a0d7e0ca050c82?source=copy_link ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Talk to our financial planners to get your exit number.  Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryrwolfe/ www.argoshr.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s be real for a second: Law school, the accounting bodies, the professional exams they never actually taught you how to run a business. They taught you how to be a technician. Now, you’re stuck in the trading time for money trap, thinking that being hardworking and professional gives you an edge over the competition. It doesn't. That’s just the baseline.  In 2026, relying on those standards is the quickest way to get left behind. I joined Dan Warburton to talk about the shift from being a late-stage service provider to an early-stage strategic partner. We’re moving past the ego and getting into why your clients really buy from you—and it’s probably not what you think. In this chat, we cover: The Holiday Test: Why your inability to let go is capping your revenue and killing your culture. Standards vs. USPs: Why telling people you're "punctual" is a waste of breath (and what to say instead). The Ferrari Specialist: How to stop being a "generalist garage" and become the only logical choice for your ideal client. Dinner, Drinks, and Real Data: My simple way to get your best clients to hand you your unfair advantage on a silver platter before the weekend hits. AI vs. The Clock: Why billing by the hour is a losing game when tech can do your 8-hour task in 20 minutes. If you’re tired of staying stuck, this is for you. Want to exit your business but unsure where to start? Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: ⁠https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com⁠ ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Talk to our financial planners to get your exit number.  Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/investordanwarburton Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2430923 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fine is the most expensive word in your business. When your team tells you they’re fine, they aren’t being polite. They’re checking out.  We’re in a Relationship Recession, and it’s the silent tax stripping productivity, slowing decisions, and shaving value off your company from the inside. In this episode, I sit down with Morag Barrett, leadership expert, member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches, and the person CEOs call when trust is breaking and performance is slipping.  Morag explains why transactional leadership fuels burnout, how digital noise has replaced real connection, and what to do about it if you want a high trust culture that scales. If your engagement is dipping or your business is being impacted by quiet quitting, this is the episode for you. We discuss: How to spot the “I’m fine” trap before turnover hits How to identify allies, rivals, and hidden adversaries inside the Relationship Ecosystem How to use a 60 second pulse check to measure trust fast How to schedule spontaneity so remote teams feel like a community How to shift from transactional to transformational leadership without more meetings Want to exit your business but unsure where to start? Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: ⁠https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com⁠ ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Ready to exit, but worried you'll regret it? Visit: https://www.xentum.co.uk ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moragbarrett/ Website: https://skyeteam.com Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cultivate-Winning-Relationships-Morag-Barrett-dp-1936487292/dp/1936487292/ref=dp_ob_title_bk ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong Website: ⁠https://adamstrong.net⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices