Ep. 109 - Stop Faking Corporate: Lead Like a Founder

Most leadership advice assumes you’ve got time, staff, and cash to spare. We don’t. We take you straight into the realities of small business leadership where the bank balance is thin, the to-do list is wide, and your actions, not your titles, set the culture. Our focus is sharp: how to lead when you must sell, train, set standards, and still carry the vision that keeps everyone moving.

We unpack the crucial differences between corporate leadership and entrepreneurial leadership, why big-company playbooks often fail in a 10-person shop, and how to replace them with practical habits. You’ll hear why being “replaceable” is a bad early-stage goal, how hiring accomplished corporate operators can clash with startup constraints, and what it looks like to work in the business without becoming a bottleneck. We double-click on the cadence that actually sustains progress: simple, stepwise vision, weekly reviews that hold the plan to the fire, and relentless standard-setting across sales, ops, service, and quality.

Throughout, we keep returning to the traits that matter most when resources are scarce: a clear and repeatable vision, the discipline to translate it into near-term steps, and the energy to rally a team through uncertainty. Think Braveheart over Patton, leading from the front, not from a balcony. If you’ve ever tried to outsource the heartbeat of your company too soon, or wondered why polished frameworks don’t survive first contact with cash flow, this conversation brings practical clarity and a few field-tested laughs.

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