What If Your Success Habits Are Now Holding You Back?
You’ve built something from the ground up—but what if the very traits that made you a successful founder are now the biggest blockers to scaling and exiting?
In this episode, I speak with John Spence, one of the world’s leading authorities on business and leadership. Named by the American Management Association as one of America’s top 50 leaders to watch—alongside the likes of Larry Page and Jeff Bezos—John became CEO of the Rockefeller Foundation at just 26 and has since advised both Fortune 10 giants and small, fast-growth businesses across the globe.
I’ve known John for years, and every time we speak, I’m reminded just how deeply he understands what makes a business thrive—or fail.
This conversation was rich in insight, challenge, and practical strategy.
We covered:
The mental traps founders fall into when transitioning from startup to scale-up
The psychological roadblocks that sabotage even the most talented leaders
Why reflection, emotional intelligence, and adaptability are now non-negotiables
Learn how to scale and exit faster by applying to join our waitlist for our next cohort to the game changers inner circle business mastermind go to https://bit.ly/business-mastermind-waitlist for more info
5 Key Takeaways from the Episode:
Most businesses plateau due to a mix of Ignorance, Indifference, Inflexibility and Inconsistency. Recognising which one you're operating in is key to moving forward.
The habits that serve you as a founder can become liabilities as a leader. Without shifting your mindset, you risk becoming the bottleneck.
Founders who successfully scale are the ones who learn to hire well and step back. Running a £1M company and a £50M company requires completely different skill sets.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) and adaptability (AQ) often outweigh technical expertise in long-term leadership success.
The best leaders take full ownership of their mistakes—and are brave enough to ask for help.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Scaling Challenges
06:23 Identifying Patterns in Business Plateauing
10:08 Strategic Shifts for Founders
11:47 Defining Professional Management
14:08 Finding the Right Replacement
18:05 Counterintuitive Mistakes of Founders
21:02 Key Areas for Business Differentiation
22:58 Psychological Blind Spots in Leadership
26:50 Lessons from Early Leadership Experience
29:58 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence
30:54 Accountability in Leadership
33:29 Mindset Shifts for Overcoming Plateaus
39:09 Purpose-Driven Leadership
41:03 The Impact of Leadership on Employee Lives
43:15 Curiosity and Uncomfortable Questions in Leadership
46:37 The Five-Step Framework for Business Excellence
49:42 People First: The Core of Business Success
52:50 Identifying and Addressing Performance Issues
53:48 The Evolution of Leadership Frameworks
56:27 A Live Coaching Session: Overcoming Frustrations
01:09:20 Legacy and Leading with Love
🙏 How To Support The Business Strategist 🎙️
If this is the first time you’re listening congrats, if you like today’s episode please subscribe, listen and leave a review on 👉 Apple, Spotify
ABOUT THE GUEST
Website: https://johnspence.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbspence/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/johnspenceleadership/
Book: https://amzn.eu/d/cDzEDUy
ABOUT THE HOST
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong
Learn how to scale fast by taking the business growth quiz: https://howtogrowabusiness.scoreapp.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong
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