You probably think you have a productivity problem.

More to do. Better systems. Tighter schedules.

But what if the real issue isn’t what you should be doing..

it’s what you need to stop doing?

In this episode, I coach a CEO named "Alfie" who believes he needs a better to-do list. What he actually needs is a “to don’t” list.

We unpack the hidden habits that quietly drain your energy.

The things that feel productive, keep you busy, and still don’t move the business forward.

• Slack checks.
• Inbox loops.
• Meetings with no agenda.
• Decisions you already know the answer to but keep postponing.

I’ll walk you through how to build your own to don’t list:

• how to spot avoidance disguised as work
• how to identify habits that kill momentum and
• how to turn those insights into clear, non-negotiable rules
  
  

When Alfie removes these patterns, something interesting happens: more energy, better decisions, and space for the work that actually matters.

Less effort. Better outcomes.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

Most CEOs are "brilliant operators." They got to the top because they were the best at capturing tasks, solving problems, and getting things done.

But there is a trap.

Today I share the story of "Jane," a CEO with a world-class to-do list who felt like she was drowning in busyness while failing at the work that actually mattered.

The truth is: To-do lists reward task completion, not leadership. If you are still personally managing a long list of checkboxes, you aren't leading—you’re operating. You’re a high-priced firefighter. And as long as you’re holding the hose, you can’t steer the ship.

We discuss:

• Why sophisticated systems often become a leader's biggest bottleneck.
• The "Operator Habit" and how to break it.
• What happened when we stripped Jane’s systems back to almost nothing.
• Why "protected time" is more valuable than any productivity app.
  
  

If you feel busy but ineffective, this is for you.

Coming up next: If it’s not a to-do list, what should a CEO run their week on? Subscribe to catch that one.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

In this episode, we explore the critical concept of 'headroom' for CEOs.

Discover why maintaining time, energy, and capital reserves is essential for seizing unexpected opportunities, from mergers and acquisitions to market shifts.

Learn how the best leaders design margin into their strategies to stay agile and responsive.

Share your thoughts on creating 20% headroom in your business and why it matters.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

Designing Freedom into Your Success: Strategic Path Planning for CEOs

In this episode, we explore the concept that freedom is not a consequence of success, but something to design into it. Termed as 'strategic path design,' the script discusses the importance of building structural flexibility and creating options long before they are needed.

Real-world examples from Netflix, Adobe, and Apple illustrate the proactive planning that enables flexibility and freedom.

The episode outlines three key steps for CEOs: building structural flexibility, reserving strategic margin, and developing personal range.

The goal is to prepare for future opportunities and changes to maintain both business and personal freedom. Tune in to learn how to intentionally design flexibility into your success.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

The question isn’t whether AI can do the work. It’s whether you can redesign the work around AI.

Did you know?
👉 McKinsey (2024): 60% of AI projects fail to scale beyond pilot stage.
👉 MIT Sloan: Companies that reorganise workflows around AI see 3–5x higher productivity than those that just deploy tools.
👉 Accenture: Only 8% of companies capture ‘transformational’ value from AI. Most stay stuck in incrementalism.
👉 Gartner: 80% of AI initiatives stall because of “absence of strategy and ownership.”

Electricity was invisible but revolutionary. AI will be the same until it’s everywhere, and then you’ll just call it “work.”

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me on LinkedIn at joeleech, or via email at: joe@mrjoe.uk

Subscribe to the YT channel at ‪@mrjoe-coach‬

___
Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

The people who get promoted, trusted, and remembered?

They’re not just talented.

They’ve built habits that make them indispensable.

In this video, I break down the 10 habits I see over and over again in the most successful employees, from entry-level to execs.

The ones who stay, get noticed, and move up.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

___
Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

You’ve just taken the seat. Now what?

You’re smart.

You’ve earned your way here.

But no one handed you a playbook for this job.

You’re expected to lead with certainty.

But every decision feels like you’re making it in the dark.

And the pressure? Constant. Quiet. Heavy.

Over the years, I’ve worked with dozens of first-time CEOs.

From high-growth startups to multi-billion exits.

And I’ve seen the same mistakes show up again and again.

They don’t happen because you’re not good enough.

They happen because the CEO role is unlike anything you’ve done before.

In this video, I walk through the 5 most common mistakes I see new CEOs make,

and how to avoid them.

These aren’t ideas from a whiteboard.

They’re lessons pulled from real rooms, real CEOs, and real messes,

the kind that don’t make it into case studies.

If you're in the chair.. or heading there, this one’s for you.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.

You’re in a meeting.

You ask a straight question.

You get a… fuzzy answer.

It happens all the time, especially in leadership.

Here’s a lens I’ve found incredibly useful when coaching CEOs:

Are humans evolved for truth… or for survival?

As a CEO, you need truth.

You need to know what’s really going on so you can make the right call.

But most people? They’re wired for survival.

That means:

• Saying what they think you want to hear
• Avoiding conflict or responsibility
• Playing safe, not honest

Especially in tough environments or dysfunctional teams.

Once you see it, you can’t unsee it and you’ll lead very differently.

If you’ve ever walked out of a conversation thinking, “I’m not getting the full picture,” this is for you.

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Videos for all these episodes are on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy my content and you want to get in touch to find out how I could work with you, or someone you know, you can reach me at:

My LinkedIn Page

Or you can drop me an email.