The CEO Project

10/12/2026

Strong teams need curious people, the right tools, and leaders who remove barriers to growth.
Drew Allen joins Jim Schleckser to share lessons on smarter hiring and reinvesting for success.
🎧 Listen: https://theceoproject.com/how-to-build-strong-teams-and-reinvest-for-success-with-drew-allen/

10/08/2026

Does your brand deliver on its promises?
Jim Schleckser and Ron Tite explore how true purpose connects what your company believes, does, and says, plus how AI can help improve your marketing.
Listen: https://theceoproject.com/is-your-branding-really-aligned-with-your-true-purpose/

10/06/2026

A famous line often attributed to the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal is: "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter."

Nearly 400 years later, AI lets us write a longer letter in seconds. That may be part of the problem. AI is supposed to make us more productive. But when anyone can generate a three-page email, a 20-page report, or a 50-slide presentation almost instantly, we risk creating more work for everyone on the receiving end. What takes me 30 seconds to write might take you 20 minutes to read, understand, and respond to.

We've made it incredibly easy to produce information, but we haven't made it any easier to determine which information actually matters.

Learn to Use AI to Think Better, Not Just Produce More:

We are starving for insight. We need to use AI to analyze, summarize, and challenge our thinking to uncover patterns we might have missed.

09/29/2026

Many organizations invest heavily in building their leadership bench. High-potential managers receive training. Executives receive development plans. They map succession pipelines years in advance.

And then there's the CEO. Too often, we quietly assume that once someone reaches the top job, they're fully formed—ready for whatever comes next. In reality, that's rarely true. The CEO role is among the most complex, high-stakes jobs in business, and the need to grow doesn't disappear with the title. If anything, it accelerates. The research indicates CEO performance can change business outcomes by as much as 40%.

The real question isn't whether a CEO should continue developing but how.

In practice, most CEOs gravitate toward one of two options: executive coaching or participation in a CEO peer group. Both can be valuable but they address different problems, and understanding that difference matters more than most leaders realize.

Read this week's blog to learn more:

Most CEOs gravitate toward executive coaching or participation in a CEO peer group. Both can be valuable but address different problems.

09/28/2026

A profitable business sale is not always a successful exit.
Jim Schleckser and former CEO Nate Collins discuss the financial, professional, and personal sides of exit planning, including the mistakes owners should avoid and how to prepare for life after the sale.
Listen now: https://theceoproject.com/exit-planning-steps-to-help-you-build-health-and-community/

09/24/2026

I wanted to personally invite you to the Transformative CEO Summit on September 29, bringing together CEOs and senior executives for a timely conversation about the issues shaping business right now.

I am looking forward to a great conversation with leaders from Marriott International, Amazon Web Services (AWS), The Vitamin Shoppe, EY, Omaha Steaks, and more, to share real-world perspectives on AI, growth, strategy, culture, disruption, and the decisions CEOs are making about what comes next.

This is an opportunity to hear directly from accomplished leaders about what they’re seeing, what they’re changing, and how they’re preparing their organizations for the future.
📅 September 29
⏰ 11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET
💻 Live via Zoom
Special invitation: The first 50 people who register through The CEO Project link will receive complimentary access, with the regular $49 registration fee fully waived.

Reserve your complimentary spot here:
https://lnkd.in/e6f_fHGS

I hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a valuable and thought-provoking conversation.

09/21/2026

Business can be profitable while still elevating humanity.
Jim Schleckser and Founding Farmers co-owner Dan Simons discuss how investing in employees, supporting family farmers, and considering every stakeholder can create stronger companies and communities.
Listen now: https://theceoproject.com/how-business-can-be-a-force-for-elevating-humanity/

09/18/2026

Excited to be joining the 6th Annual Leadership Transformative CEO Summit: Making the Important Decisions on September 29 as a panelist!
I’m looking forward to a great conversation alongside CEOs and executives from Marriott International, The Vitamin Shoppe, Amazon Web Services (AWS), EY, Omaha Steaks, and more. We’ll be sharing real-world perspectives on the decisions leaders are making around AI, growth, strategy, culture, disruption, and what’s ahead.
📅 September 29
⏰ 11 AM–1 PM ET
💻 Live via Zoom
I’d love to have you join us! Use code CEOPROJECT to have the $49 registration fee waived.
Register here: https://theceoforumgroupinstitute.com/register-for-the-transformative-ceo-virtual-summit/?coupon=CEOPROJECT
Jim Schleckser

09/15/2026

Most leaders rely on performance metrics to assess talent. Did they hit the target? Exceed expectations? Finish the work?

That matters, yet it's only part of the story. Long before performance is reflected in KPIs, your people reveal who they really are through their drivers, confidence behaviors, and the energy they bring to the room. When you learn to interpret those cues, you can spot your A players early, keep them motivated, and stop B players from quietly slowing down the organization.

Here's an effective way to identify A, B, and C players early before the annual review prompts you:

Great organizations succeed when A players are empowered to lead. They face challenges when B players promote caution and complexity. And they stagnate when C players are hired to protect B players' comfort.

09/14/2026

The work that drains you may be someone else’s genius.
Jim Schleckser and Patrick Lencioni explore the six types of Working Genius and how understanding them can reduce burnout, improve teamwork, and help CEOs build more balanced teams.
Listen now: https://theceoproject.com/6-types-of-working-genius-what-patrick-lencioni-wants-you-to-know/