When the numbers are good, a blind spot can look an awful lot like determination. I want to know whether we’re genuinely leading well or just being rewarded for habits that could eventually bite us.
Julien Godbarge gives me a brutally honest example: an acquisition decision that felt decisive at the time but was driven by revenge. I push him on where burnout shows up in the P&L, how to help close deals without making yourself indispensable, and why the first change might be to stop doing something rather than add another initiative.
In this episode
Here’s what I’d put to work:
- Decide which deal sizes and stages need executive involvement. Build in peer-to-peer support rather than waiting for a last-minute founder rescue.
- After a setback, make time to assess and recover as well as chasing the next quarter. More activity isn’t a substitute for dealing with what happened.
- Count the cost of losing and replacing key people, including training. Make that part of the conversation about burnout.
- Before taking more risk after a strong run, separate your contribution from the team’s execution and the market’s tailwinds.
- Book monthly or quarterly time offsite with your executive team or board to assess and plan. Don’t wait for a crisis to force the pause.
Episode highlights
[04:34] My alternative to the founder rescue act: build executive support into the sales process.
[09:09] Am I moving the business forward, or just avoiding dealing with the setback?
[11:05] I want a P&L answer: what does burnout actually cost?
[14:33] Hitting the numbers can make a blind spot look like relentless execution.
[19:11] The acquisition that felt like decisive leadership. Julien admits it was revenge.
[22:18] An 18-month plan becomes a 90-day supply crisis.
[29:09] Put reflection in the diary: a monthly or quarterly offsite, not another permanent sprint.
Links and resources
- 10blindspots.com: Julien’s 10 blind spots framework, which I explore with him throughout the conversation.
- Crash, burn, and learn, Julien Godbarge: His book drawing on his own experience, with parts of the story fictionalised.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GM1HCKSW?lv=shuf&channelId=510&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Thanks for listening. I’d appreciate a rating and a review. Follow the show and share this episode with a founder or MD who’s always running at full tilt.
