In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser and Sharon Maguire discuss the critical link between strategy development and execution, emphasizing the importance of treating them as an iterative, interconnected process. Using frameworks like Henry Mintzberg’s "Two Loops of Learning," they highlight how organizations must adapt strategies dynamically—refining tactical approaches while continuously reevaluating overarching goals to stay aligned with market changes and organizational needs. The hosts advocate for small, focused strategy teams composed of systems thinkers rather than relying on large, title-driven groups. This approach enables more effective problem-solving and holistic thinking, which are essential for creating and deploying successful strategies.

The discussion also underscores the importance of prioritizing a single competitive focus—whether cost leadership, customer intimacy, or innovation—while avoiding the trap of trying to excel in conflicting areas. Effective strategies balance leveraging internal strengths with understanding external market dynamics, ensuring that objectives are both actionable and measurable. Leaders are encouraged to focus on three core areas: financial growth, operational improvement, and strategic extension, such as entering new markets or launching new products. By fostering alignment through techniques like the Japanese "catch ball" method and engaging the organization in execution, businesses can ensure their strategies drive meaningful, sustainable outcomes.

In this engaging episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser introduces a compelling discussion on productivity with a special guest, Penny Zenker. Penny, a productivity expert, bestselling author, and former C-suite executive, shares valuable insights on overcoming perfectionism, procrastination, and distractions to achieve hyper-focus and productivity.

The episode emphasizes self-awareness, intentionality, and fostering a culture where teams feel empowered and accountable. CEOs can drive greater productivity, innovation, and overall success by optimizing their focus and leadership style.

In this episode of The CEO Project Podcast, host Jim Schleckser interviews Brent Yeagy, the CEO of Wabash, a publicly traded company specializing in transportation and distribution assets, including trailers and digital solutions. Wabash, founded in 1985, operates across manufacturing, service, and distribution locations, generating billions in revenue.

The discussion delves into how Wabash differentiates itself through customer-focused, innovative services, including their subscription-based "trailers as a service" product. This approach helps clients with agile capacity without capital ownership, enhancing flexibility and efficiency for logistics companies. They explore how Wabash’s offerings like agile trailer pools provide a competitive edge in a traditionally low-margin industry.

The CEO also discusses Wabash's joint ventures and lean operational strategies, which extend beyond manufacturing to encompass strategic and innovative business practices, enabling faster deployment and more adaptable processes. Additionally, Schleckser and the CEO discuss navigating the cyclical nature of the transportation industry, with Wabash’s lean balance sheet providing a foundation for resilience through economic downturns.

Welcome to The CEO Project Podcast, where Jim Schleckser, author of Great CEOs Are Lazy, discusses ways top CEOs can optimize their businesses. Jim announces the rebranding of the podcast from "The Lazy CEO" to "The CEO Project Podcast," aligning with the project's broader mission. Today’s guest, Bradley Hamner, a business growth coach, shares his journey from struggling in his first business to developing a scalable process architecture that allowed him to work "on" rather than "in" his business. Now, he coaches entrepreneurs to build systems that drive sustainable growth, especially focusing on small to mid-sized businesses.

Bradley highlights the challenges small businesses face with popular operating systems like EOS and 4DX, often needing custom approaches to suit smaller teams. His "SCALE" framework emphasizes sustainable revenue, profitability, time off, leverage through delegation, and efficient operations. Together, Jim and Bradley discuss the importance of community and peer support among CEOs to reduce ego barriers, foster vulnerability, and achieve personal and business growth. This episode underscores that scalable success requires structured processes and a supportive community for CEOs on their journey.

In this 100th episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser marks the milestone by announcing the show's upcoming name change to The CEO Project Podcast, reflecting its focus. Beginning with episode 101, listeners will find all content under the new name.

Jim’s guest is Jennifer Frye, the CEO of Appreciated Asset Business Solutions, which specializes in building robust sales pipelines for industry disruptors through a unique prospecting and appointment-setting service. Jennifer emphasizes that successful client acquisition hinges on a personalized, relationship-focused approach. She shares insights into how her firm distinguishes itself by using targeted psychographics and values alignment, going beyond typical demographic data to create meaningful client connections.

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, host Jim Schleckser, founder of The CEO Project, announces the upcoming name change of the podcast from The Lazy CEO Podcast to The CEO Project Podcast. The current episode is number 99, and the switch will happen after the 100th episode, although all past episodes will remain accessible.

The guest on this episode is Don Schmincke, a researcher with a background in MIT and Johns Hopkins. He shares insights from his research on the high failure rates of management theories, revealing that they often ignore primal human decision-making factors. Schmincke’s work spans across biological, physical, and business systems, blending disciplines to uncover ways to help companies grow faster than traditional methods. His research, which includes looking at human behavior and ancient training programs, has led to breakthroughs in management by focusing on altering human beliefs rather than just providing tactical tools.

In this episode of The Lazy CEO podcast, Jim Schleckser, host and founder of The CEO Project, introduces Ilias Simpson, the new President of Cart.com. Ilias talks about Cart.com's comprehensive supply chain solutions, emphasizing its omni-channel capabilities and how they manage everything from digital storefronts to order fulfillment. He explains the company’s end-to-end approach, handling fulfillment for big brands like PacSun and Toms. Cart.com’s ability to offer integrated marketing, order management, and warehouse services sets them apart in a highly competitive market.

In this episode of The Lazy CEO Podcast, Jim Schleckser, founder of The CEO Project, discusses the growing field of customer experience engineering alongside Sharon McGuire. The episode explores how companies can design processes that delight customers, turning their experiences into key marketing tools. The hosts emphasize that understanding customers, including segmenting them based on their unique needs, is critical for crafting a successful customer journey.

They touch on methods like surveys and qualitative focus groups to gain insights into customer desires, noting that exceptional experiences often come from delivering what customers didn’t explicitly request but would love. They highlight the importance of eliminating friction, such as through seamless technology or low-effort processes, like easy car rentals and fast online checkouts, drawing parallels between B2C experiences (like Amazon) and B2B environments.