The "Shadow CEO" System

If your business grinds to a halt without you, it’s not a business…

…it’s a job.

True scalability can only happen when your company runs smoothly without your constant involvement, and that’s where The Shadow CEO System comes in.

Installing a temporary (a.k.a. “Shadow”) CEO is a simple but powerful system to test and train your team to operate independently so you can finally step away for a week, a month, or even forever…without things falling apart.

Here’s the playbook:

1. Choose Your Shadow CEO – Identify a trusted team member (ideally an existing member of the leadership team or an acknowledged “#2” to lead in your absence. Give them temporary authority and make it known to everyone in the company that they have it.

2. Run a “Mock Absence” – Step away for an entire week (ideal) or a long weekend (Thursday - Monday) at a minimum.

   ❌ No emails.

   ❌ No Slack.

   ❌ No calls.

   Let your Shadow CEO handle day-to-day operations and escalate only real emergencies. (SIDE NOTE: Discuss ahead of time what they would deem to be a “real emergency,” and see if their judgment matches with yours.)

3. Debrief and Optimize – When you return, review what went well and what didn’t. Specifically…

   • What decisions stalled?

   • What problems surfaced?

   • What questions were raised that they felt ill-equipped to answer?

   Document the gaps and refine your systems.

4. Repeat and Expand – If your team handled a long weekend, try a full week. If they effectively handled a full week, try two weeks. The goal is to increase their autonomy until you can take a 30-day vacation without stress.

5. Take the Leap – Take a real 30-day vacation. This is the ultimate test of a company’s operating system and a team’s ability to run the business without you. Plus, you’re probably due for a little time off.

⚡ Action Step: Assign a Shadow CEO for your next long weekend (or, better yet, week-long vacation). Step away. Let them lead. See what happens.

P.S. Don’t forget, the Built to Scale workshop kicks off April 30th. Save your free seat and learn how to escape the bottleneck trap once and for all. 👉 Register here.

Quick Hits

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• 🦥 Why “lazy” entrepreneurs make more money than you…plus 4 lessons on leverage every business owner needs to know.

• ☠️ “Old school” lead magnets are DEAD. Here’s what’s working now…

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