In today’s minisode, we close out our Think Like a CEO series and in this final part we’re going to cover how to work on the business and not in the business.

When we talk about “working on the business”, we’re talking about stepping out of the day-to-day operational grind – the thousands of tasks, the endless emails, the back-to-back meetings, the constant demands of stakeholders.

As you move up the ranks, your role increasingly becomes about working on the business. That is what your employer actually employs you for. The best leaders I've ever met embrace this responsibility. They look beyond their immediate role and work to improve the entire organisation. 

Building a Legacy of Value

Working on the business is about more than just strategy. It’s about building a body of work over your career that adds real value. 

As Albert Einstein once said, “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” This means seeking personal and professional mastery. By working on yourself, you gain the insights and skills necessary to add more value to the business. 

Think long-term. Don’t just focus on the next few months; think about where the business should be in one, two, three, or even five years. That’s where the best leaders focus their energy – on creating value over longer time spans. It’s a different mindset from the day-to-day hustle. It’s about relationships, strategy, creativity, and building a cohesive, high-performing culture.

The Importance of letting go

One of the most critical shifts a leader can make is to learn to let go. As you rise to senior levels, you must be prepared to let go of the things that no longer add value. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Focus on the big things; the major projects that will add significant value to the organisation. Don’t spend hours fussing over minor details that won't move the needle. The more you do this, the more you build a reputation of someone who can do great things. And when you get this right, your health, mental health, your personal and professional relationships will improve.

The converse is that by not letting go, the people around you suffer. Your direct reports actually want you to get out of the business a bit and help them solve the system. They don't want you dipping down and getting in the way of their job. They want you to provide a clear framework and guidance, good delegation, and then get out of the way so they can do the job you're paying them to do.

I get it, it's hard to break your modus operandi. It's hard to break your pattern that you’ve probably had for 10, 15, 20 years. It's a big shift. So maybe get there gradually. Take one to two days a week working on the business. And then as you go up another level, the dial shifts a bit more towards the strategic work and less on the tools.

The really great Chiefs don't major in minor things. They're not going to spend hours fussing over a proposal or a process or a customer complaint that's worth a few hundred bucks. They're only going to work on the stuff that's adding tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars to the value or the quality of service being delivered.

The Three Critical Steps

So, Chief, I’m going to share with you some actionable steps and insights into how the elite leaders in business step out of the doing, and into the building.

1. Creating a High-Performance Environment

At Chief Maker, we focus on five pillars of a High Performance Team: Mission, People, Culture, Tools, and Execution. 

Getting these right is essential for working on the business. If these elements aren’t solid, you’ll always be dragged back into day-to-day operations.

Working on the business also means ensuring your department or team is a great place to work. It’s about fostering trust, inspiring people, and doing meaningful work.

This goes beyond just ‘the hustle’. If all you do is operate, you're limiting your potential. And in the cold hard light of day, if all you can do is operate, no one will hire you for a really senior role and nor should they!

If you're already in a senior role and spending too much time in operations, it could be a sign that the organisation is suffering, or that your peers and the board are questioning your strategic contribution. They might be thinking, “Maybe they've gone too far in their career. They're starting to battle.”

But it's not just about avoiding operational work. It's about balancing hustle with thoughtfulness. “Hustle” has become quite overrated in the last decade or so. Great leaders understand that some of the most valuable work – creative, strategic work – requires slowing down and thinking deeply. 

This balance between fast and slow, conscious and unconscious, spirit and business, purpose and profit, is what creates a meaningful career and life.

2. Building an effective Operating Rhythm

To work on the business, you need the right habits and routines. Many of us have habits that were built for earlier roles, but now, as we move into senior roles, those habits may no longer serve us, so it’s time to evolve your personal operating rhythm.

In the book Atomic Habits by James Clear he talks about stacking habits. If you already do something habitually, then keep adding something new to it. So I was reading before bed, and now I also do 10 minutes of journaling, and that’s working well for me.

So a personal operating rhythm might mean setting aside time to think strategically, or taking time out to meet with stakeholders for a coffee, or even taking time out of the office to reflect. At least once a month, get away for two to four hours, go to the mountains or the beach, and just disconnect. I’ll often do this and after reading a book, I’ll then direct my attention to some of the big challenges we've got in our business. The time away gives me the head space to think creatively about the future of my business.

In terms of your team’s operating rhythm, there’s a free download available on Operating Rhythm. Within that, you should also consider your team's annual retreat. Every department needs this actually, not just senior management. Get an Airbnb and get away with your team and get a really clear agenda that has three or four sessions working on the business: Strategy, Culture, Professional development, and Operations. Equally important is to have breaks, go for walks, do things together, cook for each other. Don't overfill the time when you're meant to be slowing down.

We also offer a Routines program at our Chief Maker Academy. It’s affordable and highly valuable for the price!

3. Leveraging trusted advisors

Finally, don’t try to do this all on your own. Use trusted advisors such as Coaches, Mentors, Consultants or former peers, to provide a sounding board for your ideas and challenges. They can give you an impartial perspective, which is invaluable when you’re too close to a situation to see it clearly.

Even I have a business coach. And often I just cannot believe the advice and insight we get, because I'm just so close to it, I can't see what's obvious. And we get these major leaps forward as a result. They just give us a really impartial, honest assessment – sometimes brutal – but without it, I just get caught up and I don't know what decision to make.

So it’s important to have a network you can rely on for honest feedback. Without it, you’ll find it much harder to work on the business effectively.

Chief, I hope these insights help you think more like a CEO and work more effectively on your business. If you are really struggling with the above, our Chief Maker MiniMBA in Leading High Performance Teams is where you will work with other great leaders in similar senior roles and you get to work on your business for 12 weeks with us.

Stay epic,

Greg