Proactivity isn’t an all-or-nothing game.

Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com — the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and strategic impact.



In this episode, I break down the myth that leaders are either “proactive” or “reactive” and share why even small, flickering moments of foresight can put you ahead. I get into what happens when you’re forced into reactive mode and how to inject just a bit of proactivity into those moments so they don’t derail you. I talk about the “pressure off” test, those quiet weeks when your defaults show up, and how to use them to reset your habits. I wrap up with five practical steps you can start this week to shift from constant firefighting to being seen as a steady, strategic leader.

You’ll Learn:

• The real reason proactivity isn’t a fixed leadership trait
• What a flickering light bulb can teach you about staying ahead
• Why just 5% more foresight each week changes how your team sees you
• How to inject proactive moves into high-pressure, reactive situations
• The quiet damage of coasting during “pressure off” weeks
• What the “pressure off” test reveals about your default leadership mode
• Practical ways to prepare for outages and crises before they happen
• The surprising link between military “go bags” and tech leadership readiness
• How to turn firefighting moments into long-term strategic wins
• Five simple steps to build steady, visible proactivity into your week

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:00] Busting the myth of proactive vs reactive leadership

[06:14] The flickering light bulb analogy for building proactivity

[07:55] Injecting proactive actions into reactive situations

[09:59] Building your leadership “go bag” for crises

[11:42] The pressure off test and why quiet weeks matter

[13:50] Using downtime to reset strategic habits

[14:56] Five steps to increase consistent proactivity

[18:45] Why small, steady choices outweigh perfection

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and explore coaching, cohorts, and how you can stay up to date at theCTOplaybook.com, helping you build your own playbook for your path at your pace.