20 - When CEOs Stop Listening: Early Warning Signs Your Business Is Scaling the Wrong Way

In this episode of The Breakout CEO Podcast, I sit down with Steve Smith, a veteran business coach with more than 45 years of experience in manufacturing, corporate leadership, and executive coaching. Steve breaks down what he’s learned from big companies and small companies, and why scaling smart always comes down to the same three factors: capacity, funding, and alignment.

If you’ve ever felt the tension between growing fast and keeping your team, systems, and strategy intact, this conversation is packed with practical insight. Steve shares why big companies often make the same mistakes small CEOs make, what really happens when leaders stop listening to frontline employees, and how shiny-object decisions derail even the most successful founders.

We also dig into Steve’s personal story, from decades in consumer manufacturing (including a stint in the casket industry), to buying into a coaching franchise during the 2008 recession, to rebuilding from scratch when that franchise collapsed. His journey is a masterclass in resilience, clarity, and long-game thinking for entrepreneurs and growth-minded CEOs.

If you're a CEO navigating growth, experiencing capacity strain, or trying to decide whether your business is truly ready for its next stage, this episode will give you the strategic clarity and operational reality check you’ve been looking for.

Check out Steve's work at https://www.growthsourcecoaching.com/.

Say hello to Steve! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gsccoach/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachstevejsmith/