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

22 Jan

Show Notes

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, Mark explores:

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

Quotes

“We’ve got to work out why we’re in business in the first place. If the business runs your lifestyle and steals from it all the time, then it’s failed the purpose of why you’re in business together to start with.” — Mark Creedon

“If it doesn’t fit your non-negotiables, it doesn’t belong in 2026.” - Mark Creedon

“I’m a big supporter of reverse engineering, where you look at the ideal outcome of what you really want things to look like, and then work backwards from there.” - Caroline Creedon

“You can’t judge your year by the last month you completed. It’s what was done consistently before that which got you here.” - Caroline Creedon

“Most people want to please. But you have to make sure it’s not at a cost to yourself, your business, or the things that matter most.” - Caroline Creedon

The Mastermind for Business podcast is powered by Business Accelerator Mastermind, a coaching program that helps service business owners and professionals double their revenue whilst halving their time in the business. Each week, Mark Creedon, a Business Coach at Business Accelerator Mastermind, speaks with some of the best business minds in the world and shares simple, practical steps you can take to create the business you always wanted.

Click here to learn more about the Mastermind Business Accelerator

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About Mastermind Business Accelerator

Mastermind Business Accelerator is a hands-on practical program aimed at driving results fast. Spearheaded by Mark and Caroline Creedon and a range of highly qualified experts, the program will give you back the freedom you hoped for when you first started your business or professional practice. With his coaching program, Business Accelerator Mastermind, Mark helps business owners maximise their time, set and achieve goals, while remaining accountable.