How Business Owners Escape Being Busy and Start Leading Like a CEO

Most business owners don’t struggle because they lack ambition or discipline. They struggle because they’re planning forward instead of leading from the future.

In this episode, Mark and Caroline unpack what it really means to think like a CEO, even if you run a small business, a partnership, or a family operation, and why leadership thinking matters far more than hustle.

You’ll learn how to reverse-engineer your year so your goals, time, energy, and decisions actually align. Instead of reacting, overcommitting, or mistaking busy for progress, this conversation shows you how to plan with intention, protect your non-negotiables, and build a business that supports your life rather than consuming it.

If you want 2026 to feel calmer, clearer, and more in control, it doesn’t start with a better plan. It starts with better leadership.

Listen now and start leading from where you want to end up.

In today's podcast you’ll discover:

1. 2:20 – Why most annual plans fail before they start
2. 3:25 – The danger of busy success
3. 4:13 – Why reverse-engineering your year changes everything
4. 5:50 – Thinking like a CEO instead of operating by default
5. 6:36 – Aligning roles with strengths to unlock leverage
6. 8:09 – The hidden cost of doing everything yourself
7. 9:52 – Defining your non-negotiables before you plan anything else
8. 10:53 – Why time management is the wrong problem
9. 13:39 – Why one bad month doesn’t define your year
10. 14:50 – How overcommitting quietly sabotages your plans
11. 16:22 – Planning for leadership, not hustle

Get in touch with Mark Creedon

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-creedon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markcreedoncoach/
• Business Accelerator Mastermind: https://investor.metropole.com.au/business-mastermind/