In a recent article, I explored why so many mid-market CEOs find themselves carrying too much. They have grown successful companies, built loyal teams, and achieved milestones that many only dream of. Yet, the very success that got them here can also create the conditions for overload.
The good news is that this situation can be changed. Mid-market leaders can learn to share the weight by building strong, aligned, and capable leadership teams that think and work together. The transformation begins with clarity, capability, cadence, collaboration and confidence.
1. Clarity: Create a united purpose
The first step is to ensure that everyone in the leadership team knows exactly where the company is heading and how success will be measured. Many leadership teams are busy, but not all are moving in the same direction.
Simplify the strategy. A one-page strategic plan that outlines where the company is going, how it will win, and what must be achieved in the next 12 months is a powerful alignment tool.
Define clear priorities. Every quarter, set three to five measurable priorities that move the business closer to its vision. Each should have a clear owner, deadline, and success metric.
Communicate relentlessly. Repetition builds alignment. When everyone understands the vision and priorities, decisions are easier, execution is faster, and accountability becomes visible. Learn More.
Clarity is what transforms good intent into coordinated action. Without it, even the most capable leaders will pull in different directions.
2. Capability: Build a future-fit leadership team
Many mid-market companies grow faster than their leadership capability. The team that helped you reach one stage may not be equipped for the next. This is not about loyalty or tenure; it is about fit for purpose.
Assess capability honestly. Ask: do we have the right people in the right seats to achieve the next stage of growth? Evaluate leaders against future requirements, not past performance.
Learn about creating a business of A Players.
Lift the skill level. Leaders must evolve from being technicians to true leaders and managers. This means understanding how to make strategic decisions, drive performance through others, and hold peers accountable.
Have the hard conversations. Strong personal relationships often make it difficult to address underperformance. Yet, avoiding these conversations only increases the burden on the CEO. High-performing leaders are not afraid to reshape their leadership teams when the business demands it.
A capable, aligned leadership team does more than share the workload. It multiplies the organisation’s ability to make quality decisions and execute effectively.
3. Cadence: Establish a rhythm that keeps the team focused
Structure is the antidote to chaos. Once clarity and capability are in place, the next step is cadence.
Weekly leadership meetings should focus on problem-solving and execution, not status updates.
Monthly sessions should review strategic progress, risks, and market signals.
Quarterly planning sessions allow time to reset priorities and address structural or capability issues.
This rhythm keeps the team aligned, reduces surprises, and ensures that execution stays consistent.
Learn why bad meetings destroy your business execution and how to fix it.
4. Collaboration: Change how decisions are made
High-performing leadership teams make decisions together, but not by committee. The best leaders do not present solutions; they frame the situation, invite input, and lead a structured discussion.
This collaborative process builds understanding and commitment. When a decision is reached, accountability for execution is assigned clearly to one leader, and everyone commits to supporting the outcome. The result is faster action, stronger ownership, and a more empowered team.
Learn how much of poor execution comes down to the leadership team?
5. Confidence: Engage an independent advisor or coach
An experienced external advisor provides objectivity, challenge, and support. Many CEOs cannot discuss sensitive topics, such as leadership capability or structural changes, with their own team. A trusted external advisor offers a confidential sounding board and helps the leader navigate difficult decisions.
A strong coach also builds confidence. They do not make decisions for you, but they bring perspective and frameworks that enable better decisions. The combination of insight, accountability, and encouragement helps CEOs move from being reactive to being deliberate and strategic.
See the 5 signs you may be ready for a business coach.
The payoff: a lighter load and a stronger business
When mid-market leaders move from “doing it all” to building a capable, aligned leadership team, everything changes. Decisions become faster and better. Execution improves. The CEO regains time to think strategically and focus on growth.
More importantly, the organisation becomes sustainable. The business no longer depends on one person to hold it together. Instead, it is led by a team that is united by purpose, capable of execution, and confident in direction.
If you are a business leader who recognises that you may be carrying too much, now is the time to start a conversation. At SSBG, we help mid-market companies design the systems, rhythms, and leadership structures that create scalable, sustainable growth.
Reach out to discuss where your business is today, where you want it to be, and how to build the leadership capability to get there.
