You’ve just taken the seat. Now what?

You’re smart.

You’ve earned your way here.

But no one handed you a playbook for this job.

You’re expected to lead with certainty.

But every decision feels like you’re making it in the dark.

And the pressure? Constant. Quiet. Heavy.

Over the years, I’ve worked with dozens of first-time CEOs.

From high-growth startups to multi-billion exits.

And I’ve seen the same mistakes show up again and again.

They don’t happen because you’re not good enough.

They happen because the CEO role is unlike anything you’ve done before.

In this video, I walk through the 5 most common mistakes I see new CEOs make,

and how to avoid them.

These aren’t ideas from a whiteboard.

They’re lessons pulled from real rooms, real CEOs, and real messes,

the kind that don’t make it into case studies.

If you're in the chair.. or heading there, this one’s for you.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

You’re in a meeting.

You ask a straight question.

You get a… fuzzy answer.

It happens all the time, especially in leadership.

Here’s a lens I’ve found incredibly useful when coaching CEOs:

Are humans evolved for truth… or for survival?

As a CEO, you need truth.

You need to know what’s really going on so you can make the right call.

But most people? They’re wired for survival.

That means:

• Saying what they think you want to hear
• Avoiding conflict or responsibility
• Playing safe, not honest

Especially in tough environments or dysfunctional teams.

Once you see it, you can’t unsee it and you’ll lead very differently.

If you’ve ever walked out of a conversation thinking, “I’m not getting the full picture,” this is for you.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

Is “work-life balance” setting you up to fail?

Here’s the thing: trying to “balance” work and life assumes something is always off.

It’s a constant juggle, and it rarely feels sustainable.

What if the goal isn’t balance… but blend?

What’s one agreement you could make this week to create more clarity and less guilt?

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

So how did you do it? How did you get to be a coach to CEOs?

That's the question I get asked the most often.

How did I go from research and design to working with CEOs?

In this video, I share my journey from studying neuroscience to teaching young children, working in user experience, and eventually becoming a coach for CEOs.

I also dig into how my background in psychology, teaching, and strategic consulting shaped my approach to guiding leaders, uncovering challenges, and driving meaningful change.

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I'm mr Joe Leech and I coach CEOs so they and their businesses thrive. I bring 20 years in tech and $20bn in additional revenue.

Here’s how you can take things deeper with me:
I only work with 6 CEOs every year, I have one spot available. If you want to work with me, Start Here: https://forms.gle/QKSi5EybQoqULrj68

Mindset and Skillset Shifts, video playlists for:
Enterprise CEOs: https://tinyurl.com/63wbpkvk
Founders: https://tinyurl.com/524z4jkd
New CEOs: https://tinyurl.com/mwhcmpy9

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

It rains here on the edge of England, it rains a lot.

Everyday I check the weather to see if my little girl needs to take an umbrella to school.

Parenting 101, this of course leads to her relying on me to check the weather and packing a brolly.

So we go through the process of her doing just that, and of course she forgets and get's wet...

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

You can’t lead a business effectively if you’re constantly reacting to meetings and obligations. It gets emotional when you start shifting things around, but here’s the truth:

👉 You can’t make time—you have to take it.

👉 Prioritize what truly matters.

👉 Create space for strategic thinking, not just reacting.

Are you taking time for what moves the needle, or just filling your calendar?

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

How do you build trust with a C-suite leader who resists change?

Here’s the truth: you can’t coach someone who doesn’t want to change.

And that’s where trust begins (or breaks).

It reminds me of a joke: How many coaches does it take to change a light bulb?

Only one.

But the light bulb has to want to change.

So, here’s the challenge: are you coaching the behavior,

or are you coaching the belief behind it?

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

Why Being a CEO is Like Being a Gardener – The Three Tools for Great Leadership

In this episode, I break down the three essential things that great CEOs and leaders do – and it’s surprisingly similar to what any good gardener does. It all comes down to seeding, feeding, and weeding.

• Seeding Ideas: Planting the vision and the strategy.
• Feeding Initiatives: Supporting and nurturing projects to ensure they thrive.
• Weeding Inefficiencies: Removing what doesn’t work, whether it’s projects or team fit.

Are you doing all three in your leadership role? This simple framework could be the key to transforming your leadership approach.

Let me know in the comments if this resonates with you!

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.