The CEO Reset Stepping Back to Scale Faster

0:01You don't have to look far away to see examples of leaders who have mastered the art of reset.

0:11Welcome to Brave or Brilliant. I am your host Jeannette Linford and we are talking all about the CEO stepping back in order to go faster. So the quick question just to kick us off is, have you ever felt stuck in your business, in the department you're running, in your area of specialism? You know, you're spinning your wheels, even though you're working harder than ever. Like you're on a treadmill almost. It's sort of going nowhere. And no matter what you do, the growth just isn't happening. Well, if that sounds familiar, you are absolutely not alone. And this is a feeling almost every ambitious entrepreneur and business leader experiences.

0:53So today's episode is absolutely for you, because here's the secret that most CEOs and MDs and executives and directors don't talk about. Sometimes the fastest way to scale your business, your department, is to actually step back before you leap forward. Yeah, that's right. You know, the CEO reset. It isn't about grinding nonstop. It's about intentional pauses that create the vital space for clarity, for innovation and for making those bold strategic decisions that actually move the needle. But before we jump in, it'd be great to hear from you When was the last time you hit pause on your business or your career?

1:39And what did you actually discover? Your answers, they might just inspire someone else in our Brave Bold Brilliant community So what I will say to you, if you are not following Brave Bold Brilliant In terms of YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast Then hit the subscribe button because then you're going to get notified Every single time that we go live with an episode and also you know do check out www.brave-bold-brilliant.com we've got loads of resources in there for you and we actually have our amazing rise academy which is all about how you help your team step up so in this episode we're talking about you as a leader as a ceo as an md as a director how you reset in order to go forward but it's also so important that you have your team well equipped for growth as well so check out our rise academy it's perfect because if your team are not actually moving forward with their careers and it's very difficult for you to take this pause and reset and move forward so make sure we're all connected on all of those platforms so let's get into part one you know so why why do ceos mds directors senior leaders need to reset well you You know, as a CEO, as a founder, as a business leader, you know, we've been conditioned to believe that our value lies in constant motion.

3:05And often that can mean to feel like we have to have all the answers and keep pushing no matter what. But, you know, that relentless always on pace, it isn't it's just not sustainable. So it's a really a direct route to overwhelm, burnout and critically poor decision making. So a reset isn't a sign of failure. It's a real sign of power, of strategic leadership. You know, it's the courage to recognize when your current approach actually isn't serving you, your business or your teams. So to pause, reflect and realign is absolutely the right thing to do. So, you know, think about a captain navigating a ship, right?

3:46They don't just keep the engine running at full speed in a storm, do they? You know, they might have to adjust course or even stop an anchor to avoid crashing. So the reset is your anchor. It helps you break out of the reactive cycle of just putting out fires. And it gets you back into that strategic mindset where you can see the bigger picture and steer your business with much clearer purpose and vision. And honestly, that's where the truth of growth happens. You know, it's not about doing more. It's about doing the right things. but what does a CEO reset actually look like well a reset it doesn't have to be a two-week holiday in the Caribbean although you know that's often nice to do it can take many forms and the most effective resets are often built into your routine actually so you know it's great to sort of schedule and I do this very often I schedule a thinking day I don't have a big agenda I just have that white space blocked in my diary so I can then use that time to really just think and see what comes to me it's my personal favorite actually it's a day completely free from meetings emails you know or any other distraction and it's a day to work on your business not just in it you know you can review your strategy maybe analyze what's working what's not focusing on those high impact projects that actually move you forward.

5:18It might be another idea is you take a retreat or a mini sabbatical. Could be a few days away from your usual environment, or it might be a long weekend, or it might even be longer. You might take a six-month sabbatical from the business, for example. But the goal, whatever the length of time, is to gain fresh perspective. And when you physically remove yourself from your daily routine, it's amazing how much mental space you create for breakthrough ideas to emerge, you know, that fertile void. So, you know, that's amazing. Those two suggestions I've given you there. Now, an obvious one is around delegation, right?

5:55As a leader, our delegation skills have to be top notch. But sometimes I think when we're super busy, we're excited about what we're doing, we're ambitious. Sometimes we struggle to let go. You know, I don't know if you've ever felt like that, where, you know, you should delegate something to the team, but you just go, I'll just do it myself it's quicker to do it myself and of course two things happen there one you become overwhelmed two actually you're probably spending your time on things that you shouldn't be and not necessarily as value-added as they could be and also you're you're really hampering the growth of your team aren't you because you're not giving them the chance to flourish and thrive and to learn new skills and to experience and make their own mistakes through the process so you know delegate those tasks, especially those ones that drain your energy, you know, and that might actually be the most effective reset that you can do.

6:45And, you know, and sometimes that reset, it might be to permanently offload, you know, the work that isn't in your zone of genius. You know, as a leader, you can't know everything. You know, leadership is around, you know, surrounding yourself with incredibly bright, smart people that are brighter and more experienced and more talented in certain areas than you are. That's leadership, not trying to do everything yourself because it's impossible. It's absolutely impossible. So, you know, it might be that actually you've got a new team member, you've identified a new role because there was a gap and it was you were spread too thinly.

7:25It might be that you've got a, you know, someone who's a freelancer or you've actually maybe brought some tech into the business, a piece of software that allows you to, you know, to delegate more effectively, especially those low impact but time consuming tasks. You know, so that really does free you up for what matters most. And that's vision, strategy, the big decisions, the big investment cases. And then, of course, there are other tools, aren't there? And I do a lot of this, especially in the morning. I have my own version of my miracle morning. And if you've not read the book, The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, I highly recommend that you do.

8:04It's super simple. But how you start your day sets you up for the rest of the day. I always think, you know, win the morning, win the day. And, you know, I do a lot of meditation, affirmations, visualization. conversation but journaling is also fantastic because it just allows you to capture your thoughts at that point of time now what I also do I always read 10 pages of a book every morning and I like to write down what are the things that are kind of jumping out for me as I'm reading that it might be a mindset book it might be a personal development it might be a business book you know but one of the things that are jumping out to me and I have got oh my god I don't know how many notebooks I've got filled, filled with comments, notes from all of the books that I've read.

8:50I'm a voracious reader, but I don't have a huge amount of time to do that. But just 10 pages a day? Absolutely amazed how much you actually get through and how much you can learn through that. So that reset in that example, it might just be as simple as 15 minutes a day. just to clear your mind exercise again is so powerful for you healthy body healthy mind it really helps me you know get rid of any stress it prepares me for the day so whatever it is for you you know find something that's going to allow you to reset on a daily basis as well as some of the other elements i've said around delegation around taking a sabbatical around taking a holiday and a break but whatever you do choose what's right for you and the goal here is to create mental and emotional space which then allows those breakthrough ideas to come without forcing it all right so those are just some ideas how you can take that reset but then the third part of this conversation really is about how do you make resetting a habit because that's great isn't it to do you know those one-off things you come back you're feeling great but before you know it you can get very much dragged back into you know the day-to-day the busyness which is normal but you need to have reset as a habit so how do you move from you know the idea of a reset to a consistent practice well you know this is about creating sustainable habits right so blocking out regular a reset time in your calendar, you need to treat it like an unbreakable appointment.

10:30You know, for me, I fiercely protect the first two hours of my day. Now, I happen to be good in the morning. I am an early bird. And that's when I'm at my best energy, to be honest. In the afternoon, I'm more sluggish. But whatever's for you, you might find your reset is in the evening. You know, you might actually, you know, be more of a night owl. And that's also fine. You know, we're all different. So being aware of your energy and when it's good for you to take your reset. Again, it might be, as I say, it might be the end of the day. It might be before you go to bed where, you know, you kind of have a certain practice that helps you reset.

11:04So but treat it like an unbreakable appointment. It's an appointment with yourself. So, as I say, it could be a few hours every Friday. It might be a full day once a month. You know, put it in your calendar and guard it fiercely. Don't let anything else encroach on this time. And if you have a PA or an executive assistant or someone in the team that works with you, explain to them that that time is protected so that they don't then try and squeeze a meeting in or something, which can often happen as well. You know, so you also have to explain to your team and the people around you and your loved ones, actually, what is why you're doing it, why it's important so that they understand as well.

11:49And don't sort of get frustrated because they're not able to have access to you during those times. So it really is about creating that reset ritual and it helps your brain switch gears. Genuinely, it really does. And as I say, it could be as simple as just, you know, unplugging from email and social media for a set period of time. Might be finding a quiet place and focusing on reflection and visioning. Could be sitting outside in the garden for 20 minutes with a cup of tea, you know, whatever it is. But having a ritual makes it easier to get into the right mindset because then you do it naturally.

12:24And as always, I often remind, you know, myself and you, it's also about the people you surround yourself with. Have you got the right people in your life? You know, surround yourself with trusted advisors, mentors, you know, and again, sometimes the best way to get perspective is actually to talk to someone outside of your business. You know, a mentor or a group of peers can help you see those blind spots and offer invaluable guidance. I'm a business mentor. I work one to one with senior leaders, with business owners, helping them get to that next level. You know, I am 100 percent believe if you do not have a coach or a mentor in your life, you are missing a trick.

13:07I have always myself had mentors and coaches, and that has led me to be able to succeed and take my career and my business life to the next level time and time again, because you just keep, you know, raising the bar, don't you, as you progress. So having a mentor, again, it's just such a great way to reset, isn't it? Because it gives you that space. You know, someone that's there to guide, support, offer advice, call you out if you're not actually moving forwards. So set those clear intentions for what you want to achieve as well. Don't just take time off without direction. Be intentional. So before you start your reset, ask yourself, what is the biggest challenge I want to solve?

13:51Or another good question for you is, what is the key question I want to answer? because that then ensures that your time is focused and productive. So, you know, I love this topic. I really do. It's something that's so important. But the other thing is to look at success around you. You don't have to look far away to see examples of leaders who have mastered the art of reset. You know, think about leaders like Bill Gates, you know, famously take think weeks twice a year to unplug and focus on those big ideas away from the daily grind. You know, Arianna Huffington's, you know, her well-documented experience with burnout led her to taking a radical step back, which ultimately inspired her to create Thrive Global, you know, a company dedicated to well-being and productivity.

14:41So these leaders, they didn't get ahead by pushing harder. They actually succeeded by knowing when to step back. So, you know, resetting isn't a luxury reserve for multi-billion pound CEOs. It's a critical practice for any entrepreneur or leader who wants to scale sustainably. And it's a difference between a business that burns bright and then burns out and one that builds true lasting momentum. So I appreciate I've covered quite a lot in this topic, but I would love to hear from you. You know, what's the biggest barrier that's keeping you from taking a reset? how do you feel actually when you do pause you know is it relief is it guilt is it fear what's going on for you we'd love to hear from you and you know what's one small step that you can take this week to start your your reset you know so drop your thoughts uh to us send us an email to info at brave-bold-brilliant.com check out our website as i said www.brave-bold-brilliant.com There's loads of amazing resources in there for you to help you with your leadership journey.

15:47But also the programs that we offer. You know, we have our Rise Academy, which is really for junior to middle leaders, graduates, those that are really looking to step up or business owners. And, you know, that allows you then to have a very powerful team with you. So investing in your team is the best thing you can possibly do. So check out Rise Academy. But equally, you might need an executive edge program where I work with you and your team. We take that reset together. We step out of the day to day of the business for two or three days. This is what I do with some of the largest businesses in the world.

16:23And honestly, it makes the biggest difference. It brings them together as a high performing executive board. It helps identify the strategy, the vision and the roadmap going forward. It allows us to look ourselves as individuals. And for each of those executives around that table, that self-awareness around their leadership and what they need to do to be a better leader is so incredibly powerful. So our Executive Edge program or our Leadership Masterminds, we have so much here to help you with. But even just by listening to this podcast, by watching this video on YouTube, you are making that start on your journey to reset so you can really unlock that power.

17:02so a huge thank you for spending time with me today for taking the effort to listen and to learn and to share and of course if this episode gave you some new ideas then please you know like the video subscribe share it with some friends or fellow colleagues or fellow entrepreneurs because that's the way we help each other thrive we help each other you know really move forward and it might be someone who is stuck in the hustle you know remember sometimes the bravest move is actually to step back so you can scale faster and smarter so you know we only have one life we only have you know a certain amount of time on this planet so let's make it count let's make our leadership journey count but let's not burn out let's reset ready to recharge and go again so remember it's by being brave and bold that you are going to unlock your brilliant i will see you next time I really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Brave Bold Brilliant.

18:00Remember, check out our new website, www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. You're going to find loads of resources on there that's going to help you with your leadership journey and with the businesses that you're trying to scale up and grow. So take care, everyone. And remember, there are no limits to your growth, but it is by being brave and bold that you're going to unlock your brilliant.

18:27Thank you.