30 Questions CEOs Ask — and the Real Answers from The CEO Project
Straight answers on leadership, growth, decision-making, and CEO peer groups — drawn from real conversations inside The CEO Project.
Leadership & CEO Performance
High-performing CEOs stop asking “What do I do next?” and start asking “How should the organization work without me?” These questions address that shift.
How can I become a more effective CEO?
The job is to stop being the best doer and start being the best designer — architecting the company so it runs well without you in every loop. See The Five Hat Model for Lazy CEOs.
What habits separate great CEOs from average ones?
Great CEOs build repeatable habits: protect thinking time, communicate the vision weekly, manage emotions under pressure, and use metrics without becoming a slave to them. See 7 Leadership Habits of High-Impact CEOs.
How do I avoid becoming the bottleneck in my company?
If you’re the source of all answers, you’re the ceiling on growth. Build leaders who can solve problems and make decisions without you. See Building Organizational Muscle.
What is “Lazy Leadership” and how does it help CEOs perform better?
Lazy Leadership is focus, not laziness — doing only what only the CEO can do, and building systems and leaders that multiply your time. See The Five Hat Model for Lazy CEOs.
How do top CEOs make better decisions with less stress?
They rely on decision structure — mental models, clear inputs, and fewer “opinions masquerading as facts” — so they can move fast without guessing. See Mental Models That Help CEOs Make Faster Decisions.
How can I grow as a leader when my company is scaling faster than I am?
You don’t rise to the title — you rise to the level of leadership capacity you build. That means intentional development, feedback, and learning loops. See Mindset Shifts That Separate Good CEOs from Great Ones.
How do CEOs build high-performance leadership teams?
They build a team that can scale — people with judgment, ownership, and the ability to lead leaders, not just manage tasks. See How to Build a Leadership Team That Grows with Your Company.
Business Growth & Strategy
Growth stalls rarely come from the market — they come from internal constraints. These questions help CEOs identify and remove them.
Why is my company stuck at its current revenue level?
Because something is constrained — talent, process, or business model — and pushing harder just increases noise. Fix the constraint and growth returns. See The Lazy CEO’s Theory of Constraints.
How can I scale my business from $50M to $200M?
That jump isn’t effort — it’s infrastructure: leadership depth, operating cadence, and systems that scale without breaking. See Key Strategies for CEOs to Scale a Business.
What should CEOs focus on to drive sustainable growth?
Sustainable growth is clarity + capability: a tight strategy, the right team, and execution discipline that doesn’t depend on heroics. See A CEO’s Guide to Smart Growth: When to Scale vs Optimize.
How do I identify the biggest constraints affecting my company’s performance?
Look for where work piles up, decisions slow down, or everything escalates to you. That’s the kink in the hose. See The Lazy CEO’s Theory of Constraints.
What strategic frameworks do successful mid-market CEOs use?
The best frameworks are boring and consistent: clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and a cadence that forces decisions and follow-through. See Strategy Deployment and Accountability.
How do I know if my business model needs to evolve?
If growth requires more effort for less return, your model is aging — and you either optimize the engine or change the vehicle. See A CEO’s Guide to Smart Growth: When to Scale vs Optimize.
Culture, People & Organizational Health
Culture and execution are leadership outcomes. These questions focus on accountability, leadership depth, and sustainability.
How do I create accountability across the organization?
Accountability starts with an identifiable outcome and the social pressure to deliver — not vague expectations and hope. See Accountability: What Does It Mean?.
How do I manage underperforming executives?
Be direct, be specific, and be fair — coach if the gap is fixable, replace if it’s structural. Avoid “tolerating” your way into mediocrity. See 6 Steps to Help an Under-Performer.
What’s the best way for CEOs to evaluate and upgrade their leadership team?
Rank the team, don’t rationalize. Your future is capped by the strength of your leaders — and “nice people” isn’t a strategy. See Managing Talent in Your Organization (Need Tools?).
How do high-growth companies maintain culture during rapid expansion?
Culture survives growth when leaders model it, and systems reinforce it — otherwise, scale amplifies the worst behaviors. See How to Scale a Business Without Breaking It.
How can CEOs reduce burnout — for themselves and their teams?
Burnout isn’t a character flaw; it’s usually a design flaw. Fix decision flow, priorities, and recovery time so performance is sustainable. See Strategies to Avoid CEO Burnout & Maintain Peak Performance.
CEO Peer Groups — Value, Impact & ROI
Most CEOs don’t need more information — they need a better perspective. Peer groups exist to solve that problem.
Do CEO peer groups actually help leaders make better decisions?
Yes — they expose blind spots, challenge assumptions, and improve decision quality through pattern recognition from other CEOs who’ve been there. See Unveiling the Secret Success of CEO Peer Groups.
How do CEO peer groups create accountability without authority?
Because peer accountability works: you don’t want to show up to smart peers with excuses — you show up with progress. See Peer Group Pros Discuss the Benefits of CEO Peer Groups.
What’s the measurable value CEOs get from peer groups?
Faster decisions, fewer expensive mistakes, better leadership, and clearer strategy — the compounding effect is the ROI. See Testimonials From Our CEO Peer Groups.
What should I look for in a CEO peer group?
Structure, confidentiality, facilitation, and a high bar for membership — not a networking hour disguised as “advisory.” See CEO Peer Groups at The CEO Project.
How do CEOs get unbiased feedback about their leadership?
You need truth-tellers — peers, coaches, boards — and a cadence for feedback that doesn’t depend on your mood or the organization’s politics. See One Simple Move to Get the Most Out of Your Board.
Execution, Focus & Decision-Making
Execution doesn’t fail because of effort — it fails because of focus.
How do I prioritize as a CEO when everything feels important?
Use value thresholds. If it can’t move meaningful profit or strategic advantage, it’s not CEO work. See The Million Dollar Rule of Time Allocation.
What tools do CEOs use to improve execution across the company?
Execution improves when strategy is translated into clear actions, owners, and review rhythms — not more meetings. See Strategy Deployment and Accountability.
How do I delegate better without losing control?
Delegate on a spectrum, not a switch — and use structure (like RACI) so expectations are obvious to everyone. See A Structured Way to Delegate (RACI).
How can CEOs protect their time for strategic work?
If you don’t defend your calendar, your company will spend it for you — block deep work, reduce noise, and delegate with intent. See How High-Performing CEOs Manage Their Time Effectively.
Financial & Operational Performance
Revenue alone lies. Health shows up in leadership, execution, and resilience.
How should a CEO measure company performance beyond revenue?
Track what predicts results: customer retention, decision velocity, execution reliability, and the health of the leadership system. See What Metrics Every CEO Should Track for Smarter Decisions in 2025.
What are the best KPIs for mid-market CEOs?
Use a mix of leading and lagging indicators — otherwise, you’re driving by looking in the rearview mirror. See How to Use Leading and Lagging Indicators to Guide Strategy.
How do CEOs know whether their company is truly healthy or just growing?
Healthy growth doesn’t outpace leadership capacity or operating systems — if it does, you’re borrowing from the future. See How to Scale a Business Without Breaking It.