In this episode, I discuss the evolution of CEO leadership, emphasizing that “What got you here won’t get you there,” as introduced by Marshall Goldsmith. I share insights from over 800 interviews, focusing on the need for leaders to adapt their mindsets and strategies as their businesses scale. Through a client’s growth story, I highlight the importance of strategic shifts and personnel changes to meet new challenges. I encourage leaders to continuously reassess their approaches and balance operational tasks with empowering their teams, reinforcing that effective leadership is a dynamic and evolving journey.
Episode Highlights & Time Stamps
3:28 The Challenge of Growth
5:52 Evolving as a Leader
7:14 The Importance of Transformation
8:38 Conclusion and Next Steps
When Hustle Stops Working (and Leadership Begins)
In the early days of building a business, passion and drive fuel everything. Long hours feel exciting because progress is visible and the mission is clear. But as the company grows, reality sets in, and success brings complexity.
In this episode of Grow Think Tank, host Gene Hammett explores the moment many founders face: when working harder no longer moves the company forward.
Gene introduces the central leadership idea made famous by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: the habits that helped you succeed early may eventually hold you back.
As teams grow and systems emerge, CEOs must shift from doing the work to leading the work. Without this shift, growth creates stress, bottlenecks, and decision overload.
Growth Forces Hard Decisions
Scaling a company doesn’t just add revenue; it adds layers of leadership, communication, and responsibility. Gene shares insights from coaching companies moving from small teams into mid-size organizations.
One case study highlights a company that expanded rapidly in both revenue and headcount. The founder discovered that success required evolving personally, not just operationally.
This included difficult but necessary leadership changes, replacing much of the executive team to match the company’s new level of complexity.
The lesson:
Growth demands evolution in three areas at once:
- Your people
- Your strategy
- Yourself as a leader
If any one of these lags behind, the organization slows down.
The CEO’s Real Job Is Transformation
CEO leadership isn’t a finish line; it’s an ongoing process of refinement. Strategies that worked six months ago may already be outdated. Systems that once created clarity may now create friction.
Gene challenges listeners to ask themselves a deeper question:
Are you leading at the level your company needs today or at the level it needed last year?
The most effective CEOs continually upgrade:
- How they spend their time
- How they communicate
- How they empower others
- How do they make decisions
The takeaway from this episode is clear:
You’re either evolving too early or too late, and too early is always better.
Because ultimately, the CEO’s role is not just to build a company, but to build leaders who can grow it beyond them.
Key Takeaways
1. Early hustle eventually becomes a leadership bottleneck
The behaviors that helped you start your business — doing everything yourself and pushing harder — eventually slow growth.2. Growth requires evolution in three areas
To scale successfully, CEOs must continuously upgrade their:
- People and leadership team
- Strategy and execution systems
- Personal leadership mindset
3. Complexity increases faster than most leaders expect
As organizations grow, decision-making, communication, and role expectations shift dramatically — requiring more intentional leadership.4. Leadership transformation must happen before it feels urgent
Waiting until growth feels overwhelming often means you’re already behind. The best CEOs evolve early.5. The CEO’s real role is building leaders, not just building the business
Sustainable growth happens when the CEO steps out of day-to-day doing and becomes a multiplier of people and performance.Ideal For:
Founders, CEOs, executives, managers, and anyone committed to elevating their leadership capacity.
Resources & Next Steps
Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level?
Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com
to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team’s performance.
🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast
