#168 🔧 How To Fix A CEO
Hello! Adam Thornhill here. ‘The Podcast Guy’ saving you 10 hours a month.
Today, you’ll learn how to fix a CEO’s flaws thanks to Lenny’s Podcast.
There are different types of CEOs:
Robot CEO
Perfectionist CEO
People Pleaser CEO
Laissez Faire CEO
Micromanager CEO
Ready, Fire, Aim CEO
Jonathan Lowenhar argues that a CEO often displays multiple types, much like a pie chart, but they can be broadly bucketed into one of the above.
Let’s debate the flaws of each type of CEO - and how to fix them - so your business runs more effectively.
The Ready, Fire, Aim CEO
This is the most common type of CEO. They take lots of bets, but rarely plan ahead.
To solve for this, ask:
‘What are we working backwards from?’
Because in any given time, companies are working backwards from one of four things:
You’re working backwards from an exit
You’re working backwards from your next fundraise
You’re working backwards from profitability
You’re working backwards from winding down
Then ask:
‘What has to be true to unlock an exit / the next fundraise / profitability?’
Write it down.
It may be we need to get better at go to market, or we need to launch the next iteration of the product and show this level of efficacy, engagement, what have you.
Can we codify that? Yes.
Can we talk through what actions would be required on what cadence to unlock that quantified set of results? Yes.
Do we understand what resources would be required to do those things? Yes.
We've now aimed.
If we have a culture that has some rituals about how we meet and share information, how we talk through problems, and how we work through bottlenecks, well, now we have a plan and “now we have accountability.”
Jonathan Lowenhar
Why it matters
A company can only scale if its leaders evolve. If a CEO’s blind spots go unchecked, they can create bottlenecks, stall decision-making, and ultimately derail the business.
For CEOs - Be open to recognizing your flaws and embracing feedback.
For leaders - Step up. Your role isn’t just to follow orders. Fill the gaps and challenge weak decisions. If you avoid tough conversations, the entire company suffers.
Remember, great leaders aren’t perfect. They’re just willing to adapt.
Next steps
Here’s how to fix the biggest CEO flaws:
Robot CEO → Too cold, too logical, ignores emotions. This CEO believes emotions shouldn’t exist at work. Fix this by reminding them that humans have emotions. Startups need humans. Therefore, startups are messy. Emotional intelligence isn’t optional. A great CEO balances logic with empathy.
Perfectionist CEO → Obsessed with being right, delays execution. These CEOs build the perfect product… right before they file for bankruptcy. If you have more questions than answers, move forward with imperfect decisions, get real-world feedback, and iterate fast. Speed beats perfection.
People Pleaser CEO → Afraid of making hard calls. They avoid conflict, seek consensus, and struggle to deliver tough news. But strong teams debate. Leadership means making decisions even when not everyone agrees. Prioritize respect over likeability.
Laissez Faire CEO → Hands-off to the point of neglect. They believe great hires don’t need management. But everyone benefits from good leadership. Set clear expectations, provide guidance, and hold teams accountable.
Micromanager CEO → Controls everything, trusts no one. They believe they can do every job better themselves. They suffocate their team. But this erodes trust and limits scale. The best leaders delegate and empower.
Your thoughts
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