Quick Announcement:​
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As a part of the new CEO hub WCL21, I am hosting a private and curated CEO Roundtable on the 26th of February in London (in partnership with Rathbones). This is free and by invitation-only. It's over dinner.

The theme is: "Power, Pressure, and the Private Reality of Leadership."

If you're a CEO of fast-growth and/or mid-size company, and interested in joining us, please reply with "RSVP" and I'll send you the details.

Please note: this is not for solopreneurs, coaches or consultants.

And now...let's get back to business...

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After working with hundreds of senior leaders, I’ve learned this:

Late January is when leaders lose altitude.

The calendar turns aggressive

The holiday energy is gone, and:
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Your attention gets pulled into a hundred small fires.
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It shows up fast:

Meetings flood the week
Priorities blur
Decisions slow down
Strategic thinking disappears
The year starts feeling like last year

Then the internal voice kicks in:
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“Why am I already behind?”
“Why am I already tired?”
“How did my calendar get out of control again?”

Where Momentum Starts to Slip​
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By now, three forces hit at once:
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You overload
You fragment
You revert to old habits (while pressure hits)
(reactive, hands-on, with no space to think)

Why February Matters More Than You Think

I see this every year with CEOs and C-Suite leaders I work with.

Last February, a FTSE exec told me, “January wiped out my strategy. I’ve been in meetings for four weeks and haven’t thought once.”
By April, he was firefighting a year he’d never designed.
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That’s why February matters.
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Enter February overloaded and unclear, and you’ll spend months trying to recover the clarity you lost in four weeks.
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So run a reset this week in 45 minutes.
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Start with attention, not goals:
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Write your 3 real priorities
Delete or downgrade 2 meetings
Make the 1 decision you’re avoiding
Stop 1 habit that keeps you in the weeds
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Momentum doesn’t come from adding more.
It comes from removing friction.

The 45-Minute Reset​
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Then restore your decision rhythm:
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Batch decisions into one block
Clarify what only you should decide
Delegate earlier
Tighten feedback loops

Designing for Clarity

Finally, fix the container:
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Less input
More thinking space (this is why I created WCL21: Check it out)
And at least one person who challenges your assumptions. (Work with me)
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February determines the year.
Reset now, or the year will run you.
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What will you be removing first?

Andrea Petrone

The CEO Whisperer - CEO Coach and Strategic Advisor - Keynote Speaker - Author

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You need more? Here are other ways to get value from what I do:

1) We’re opening doors to WCL21. The first private and exclusive community for fast-growth and mid-size company CEOs who want to grow their leadership, pressure-test decisions, and create meaningful connections with other peers in a trusted environment.

👉 Request your invitation here​

2) Join one of our Transformation Labs—new programs designed for every stage of a CEO’s journey: from new appointments to major transitions and legacy building. There’s also a new Lab dedicated to CEO leadership teams.

Reply LAB if you’d like to explore how this could work for you, and we’ll set up a quick call.

​3) If your leaders need clarity, courage, and a catalyst for action, invite me to speak at your next company event, summit, retreat, or leadership off-site. Book a call with me here ​

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