The Business Strategist With Adam Strong

Strategic Shifts for Successful Exits

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What If Your Success Habits Are Now Holding You Back?

You’ve built something from the ground up—but what if the very traits that made you a successful founder are now the biggest blockers to scaling and exiting?


In this episode, I speak with John Spence, one of the world’s leading authorities on business and leadership. Named by the American Management Association as one of America’s top 50 leaders to watch—alongside the likes of Larry Page and Jeff Bezos—John became CEO of the Rockefeller Foundation at just 26 and has since advised both Fortune 10 giants and small, fast-growth businesses across the globe.


I’ve known John for years, and every time we speak, I’m reminded just how deeply he understands what makes a business thrive—or fail.


This conversation was rich in insight, challenge, and practical strategy.

We covered:

  • The mental traps founders fall into when transitioning from startup to scale-up
  • The psychological roadblocks that sabotage even the most talented leaders
  • Why reflection, emotional intelligence, and adaptability are now non-negotiables


    • Learn how to scale and exit faster by applying to join our waitlist for our next cohort to the game changers inner circle business mastermind go to https://bit.ly/business-mastermind-waitlist for more info


    5 Key Takeaways from the Episode:
    1. Most businesses plateau due to a mix of Ignorance, Indifference, Inflexibility and Inconsistency. Recognising which one you're operating in is key to moving forward.
    2. The habits that serve you as a founder can become liabilities as a leader. Without shifting your mindset, you risk becoming the bottleneck.
    3. Founders who successfully scale are the ones who learn to hire well and step back. Running a £1M company and a £50M company requires completely different skill sets.
    4. Emotional intelligence (EQ) and adaptability (AQ) often outweigh technical expertise in long-term leadership success.
    5. The best leaders take full ownership of their mistakes—and are brave enough to ask for help.


      6. Chapters


      00:00 Introduction to Scaling Challenges

      06:23 Identifying Patterns in Business Plateauing

      10:08 Strategic Shifts for Founders

      11:47 Defining Professional Management

      14:08 Finding the Right Replacement

      18:05 Counterintuitive Mistakes of Founders

      21:02 Key Areas for Business Differentiation

      22:58 Psychological Blind Spots in Leadership

      26:50 Lessons from Early Leadership Experience

      29:58 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence

      30:54 Accountability in Leadership

      33:29 Mindset Shifts for Overcoming Plateaus

      39:09 Purpose-Driven Leadership

      41:03 The Impact of Leadership on Employee Lives

      43:15 Curiosity and Uncomfortable Questions in Leadership

      46:37 The Five-Step Framework for Business Excellence

      49:42 People First: The Core of Business Success

      52:50 Identifying and Addressing Performance Issues

      53:48 The Evolution of Leadership Frameworks

      56:27 A Live Coaching Session: Overcoming Frustrations

      01:09:20 Legacy and Leading with Love


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      If this is the first time you’re listening congrats, if you like today’s episode please subscribe, listen and leave a review on 👉 Apple, Spotify


      ABOUT THE GUEST

      Website: https://johnspence.com


      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbspence/


      FB: https://www.facebook.com/johnspenceleadership/


      Book: https://amzn.eu/d/cDzEDUy


      ABOUT THE HOST


      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong


      Learn how to scale fast by taking the business growth quiz: https://howtogrowabusiness.scoreapp.com


      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong

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      The Business Strategist With Adam StrongBy Adam Strong
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