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Most CEOs didn’t start out as CEOs.

They were founders, operators, builders—deep in the details, owning the mission.

But somewhere along the journey—usually when a company starts scaling fast—what made you successful starts working against you.

That’s the turning point.

In my recent conversation with executive coach Katy Trost, we explored what it really takes to evolve from hands-on leader to high-impact CEO—and why so many leaders struggle to make that shift.

The CEO’s Real Job Changes—But Many Don’t

Once your business hits significant scale—millions in revenue, layers of leadership, real complexity—the job of the CEO becomes something very different.

It’s no longer about making every decision or being everywhere.

It’s about building an organization that can think, decide, and move—without you being the bottleneck.

Katy sees this often:

Leaders stuck in “founder mode” who haven’t fully stepped into what their business actually needs now—strategic clarity, leadership depth, and cultural alignment.

The real challenge?
Letting go of what made you successful.

Your Executive Team Isn’t Just a Structure—It’s Your Leverage

At this stage, your executive team becomes your leadership amplifier—or your Achilles’ heel.

Here’s what Katy emphasized:

– Most CEOs wait too long to upgrade their exec team
– They avoid tough conversations about underperformance
– And they don't invest enough in aligning and developing that inner circle

If your executive team isn’t working as one, your strategy won’t either.

Alignment isn’t a quarterly offsite.
It’s a daily leadership habit.

Delegation at Scale Isn’t Optional—It’s Existential

As Katy puts it, delegation isn’t a nice-to-have.

It’s the only way your business scales without burning out your people—or you.

But delegation at this level isn’t about dumping tasks.

It’s about distributing ownership—clearly, consistently, and with accountability.

If you’re still the fallback for too many key decisions, it’s a signal:

You haven’t built the trust, clarity, or structure to step up and out.

The Emotional Toll Is Real—And Underrated

One of the most honest parts of our conversation was about the emotional pressure leaders feel at this stage:

– The constant demand for answers
– The isolation of being “the final word”
– The fear of letting go—and what it says about your identity

Katy’s take?

You need to treat your emotional fitness like a business asset.
Not just a wellness checkbox.

That means peer support, coaching, movement, and rest aren’t luxuries.

They’re prerequisites for leading well under pressure.

Final Thought: It’s Not Just Your Business That Needs to Scale

The real inflection point in growth isn’t just financial.
It’s personal.

The leadership model that got you to this stage—scrappy, reactive, heroic—won’t carry you through the next one.

The question is:

Are you evolving fast enough to keep pace with what your business—and your people—need now?

👉 Watch the full episode here ​

Andrea Petrone

CEO Whisperer | Top 1% Executive Coach and Speaker in the UK | Founder of WCL.

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