Series: Part 2 of the 3-part Leadership Myth Busting Series

Main Topic: Why “delegate more” is incomplete advice

Allison’s Confession: The hard lesson I learned when I confused task dumping with true delegation

The Cost of Task Dumping: Confusion, missed deadlines, and leadership fatigue

What Real Delegation Looks Like:

Context Transfer

Capability Building

System Creation

The Strategic Delegation Framework:

Capability Assessment – What are you trying to grow in this person?

Context Blueprint – Share the “why,” the how, the constraints, and success criteria

Learning Loop – Built-in prep, check-ins, and debriefs

System Integration – So you don’t have to delegate the same thing twice

Real-World Example: A marketing director who escaped burnout by building strategy capacity in her team

Weekly Challenge: Use the Strategic Delegation Framework on one recurring task

🔗 Explore more leadership tools at DeliberateDirections.com

Intro: The myth of authenticity and why it’s misunderstood in leadership

Personal Story: How Allison’s “authentic” leadership nearly derailed her team

Key Idea: Authenticity without context = emotional self-indulgence

Main Concept: Contextual Leadership—choosing which true version of yourself best serves the moment

Three Strategies:

Situation Assessment: Ask what the moment requires

Leadership Wardrobe: Build and switch between 5 intentional leadership modes

Authenticity Audit: Who are you really serving when you're “being yourself”?

Case Study: Coaching a CEO through personal challenges without destabilizing his team

Challenge for Listeners: Try the Situation Assessment in 3 real-life interactions this week

Key Takeaway: Great leaders aren’t emotionally consistent—they’re contextually brilliant

🔗 Learn more at DeliberateDirections.com

Why traditional mindset advice falls short in real leadership scenarios

The concept of Mind Flex and how it outperforms rigid thinking

3 Tools to build your Mind Flex muscle:

The Toggle Method – See challenges from opposite angles

Perspective Prompts – Break free from default thinking patterns

Mental Strength Training – Create a weekly Think Time ritual

Action challenge: Apply the techniques to a real-life leadership challenge this week

Quote to remember: “Great leaders don’t default to a mindset. They adapt to what the moment demands.”

✅ Want more tools to think clearly, lead boldly, and grow deliberately?
Explore coaching, events, and resources at www.deliberatedirections.com

What Is Pricing Power?

The ability to charge what you're worth—without losing customers.

Without it, you're running a charity, not a business.

The 1% Rule:

A 1% price increase = 11% profit boost (if volume stays constant).

Strategy 1: Value-Based Pricing

Stop pricing based on time or competitors.

Price based on the financial impact of the problem you solve.

Strategy 2: The Confidence Test

If you're not losing 10–20% of clients on price, you're undercharging.

Apple is a masterclass in this.

Strategy 3: Anchoring and Bundling

Lead with your premium offer.

Use high-medium-low pricing tiers to make your middle option shine.

Action Steps This Week:

Calculate the value you deliver.

Raise your prices 10% (for new customers).

Use price anchors in your offer structure.

Quote of the Episode:

“If you’re not occasionally losing customers to price, you’re undercharging. Period.”

🔗 For more leadership insights and tools to grow your business, visit:
https://www.deliberatedirections.com

The CEO Playbook is Broken. Here's How to Rewrite It.
What if the strategies you’re using to lead your company are actually the reason it’s not growing? In this episode of Deliberate Leaders, Allison Dunn challenges the outdated CEO playbook and shares three transformative mindset shifts every modern leader needs. Whether you're tired of being the bottleneck or ready to become the Chief Capability Officer your team needs—this conversation is your roadmap.

In this episode of Deliberate Leaders, Allison Dunn asks a provocative question:
Are you leading from a playbook written for a business world that no longer exists?

Drawing from over three decades of executive coaching, Allison breaks down:

Why traditional "command and control" leadership no longer works

How to shift from directive to deliberate decision-making

The truth behind the “open-door policy” and what to do instead

Why CEOs must evolve from Chief Everything Officer to Chief Capability Officer

This episode will inspire you to rethink how you lead, delegate, and build a culture of trust and accountability.

📌 Key Takeaway:
The future of leadership is not about control—it’s about capability. Start creating the conditions where your team can thrive without you micromanaging every decision.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.deliberatedirections.com

Featured Book: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

Key Takeaways:

Most leaders play to win. Great leaders play to keep playing.

Learn the five practices of infinite leadership:

Just Cause – Define a vision worth sacrificing for.

Trusting Teams – Prioritize relationships over performance.

Worthy Rivals – Grow by learning from your competition.

Existential Flexibility – Adapt your strategy to stay true to your mission.

Courage to Lead – Make bold, values-driven decisions.

Real-Life Examples:

Sarah’s open-source pivot that created an industry-wide ecosystem.

Marcus’s transformation from ruthless competitor to collaborative innovator.

Challenge of the Week:
Shift your lens from “How do we win?” to “How do we keep playing and contribute more meaningfully?”

What You’ll Learn:

Why love is a leadership advantage, not a weakness

The 8 Rules of Love applied to business leadership

How one CEO reduced turnover by 80% and grew revenue by 35%

Simple daily habits to become a more self-aware leader

How to turn tough conversations into trust-building moments

How leading with love builds resilient, purpose-driven teams

Referenced Book:
8 Rules of Love by Jay Shetty

Your Challenge This Week:
Choose one rule. Apply it intentionally.
Lead with love—and watch the impact.

In this episode, Allison explores:

Why most motivation strategies fail by being too easy or too extreme

How the Goldilocks Rule creates just-right challenges that drive results

A real client case study where 4% targets led to massive transformation

How to apply the Goldilocks Rule to:

Skill development

Team performance

Personal growth habits

A simple 3-step framework to calculate and track your “just right” goals

📌 Challenge of the Week:
Pick one area of focus. Identify your current baseline, add 4%, and commit to that target for the next two weeks. Track progress, adjust weekly, and build momentum.

n this episode, Allison breaks down:

Why attunement—not persuasion—is the new leadership superpower

How Daniel Pink’s research reshapes the way we influence and lead

The story of Marcus, a brilliant leader who learned to listen before leading

Three practical strategies:

The Perspective Audit

The Power Check

The Mirror Method

How to apply attunement to build trust, gain buy-in, and lead more effectively

📌 Challenge of the Week:
Choose one relationship or high-stakes conversation. Practice attunement by auditing your assumptions, reducing your power, and adapting your communication style.

In this episode, Allison explores:

Why luck isn’t just about chance—and why that’s good news

The four types of luck identified by Dr. James H. Austin

Real stories of leaders who used each type of luck to create massive results

How to move from Motion Luck to Awareness Luck to Magnetic Luck

A simple 3-step system to start manufacturing your own luck today

The Daily Opportunity Audit and other practical tools for creating momentum

📌 Challenge of the Week:
Pick one type of luck to focus on—Motion, Awareness, or Magnetic—and take strategic action to generate your own “lucky” outcomes.