CEO Playbook Ep 17: What Every CEO Needs to Hear Before Planning the Year Ahead

Anyone can fill out an annual plan. But if you want to scale, you need a leadership strategy that actually moves the needle.

This episode isn’t about filling out a worksheet. It’s about getting real with yourself as a CEO and creating a business that supports your life, not the other way around.

Jonathan Herps walks you through the exact exercises he’s used to help hundreds of founders shift from scattered to strategic. Whether you’re leading a team of 3 or 300, these insights will help you stop chasing noise and start focusing on what actually moves the needle.

You’ll learn how to reframe your goals, reset your calendar, and lead in a way that creates calm, not chaos. This is about building the kind of company that doesn’t burn you out.

In this episode of Stories of Scale with Jonathan Herps, you’ll discover:

• How to build an annual plan that’s actually worth following (06:00)
• Redesigning your life before redesigning your business (17:24)
• The time-blocking approach that protects energy, family, and sleep (33:42)
• The ‘Stop, Start, Keep’ Framework for founders (41:03)
• How to build your one-year breakthrough plan (54:00)
• Sorting ideas by impact and execution, and choosing only the moves that create long-term leverage (01:07:33)
• The CEO Dashboard and how to focus on just three core metrics that drive serious growth (01:26:11)

Key takeaways for CEOs and business owners:

• When everything feels urgent, it’s a sign you’re missing a clear, prioritised plan that aligns with where you actually want to go.
• Your business can’t scale if your life is burning out. Healthy CEOs build healthy companies.
• Protecting your highest-value time (and energy) is the foundation for consistent execution, better decision-making, and sane scaling.
• Do fewer things, better.
• Track what matters, weekly.

Scaling your business doesn’t start with doing more. It starts with getting clear on what truly matters. When you lead with focus and intention, growth becomes inevitable, not overwhelming.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN HERPS

Website: www.scaleupgrowth.co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanherps

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scaleupgrowth

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scaleupgrowth

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@scaleupgrowth

Email: [e-mail]

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Business?

If you’re interested, here are 3 ways I can help you right now:

1. Subscribe to our podcast
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2. Download our free CEO Dashboard template
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3. Book a 20-min Business Growth Call
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