Growth Think Tank

In this episode, we explore what it takes to lead effectively through crisis and why disruption is becoming faster, more complex, and more intense. We discuss why past experience alone isn't enough when leaders face unfamiliar challenges, and why a practical crisis management system matters. We explore Henry J. Evans's background in C-suite coaching and his business failure after 9/11, which shaped his approach to crisis leadership. Henry shares his framework for managing crisis, beginning with self-management and simple techniques like box breathing to help leaders stay calm and make better decisions under pressure. We also discuss the three phases of crisis, why decision-making should move to the lowest intelligent level within an organization, and why crisis plans should focus on the most critical actions. Finally, we explore simulations, scenario planning, pre-mortems, and the value of including pessimists to identify risks before they become problems. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:09 Crisis Leadership in a Faster World 1:08 What Counts as a Real Crisis 4:40 Henry's Counterterrorism Background 7:09 Why Old Successes Stop Working 10:09 Lead Yourself First 15:04 Three Phases of Crisis 20:27 Decision-Making in Crisis 24:57 Building Trust Before Crisis 27:52 Stress-Test Your Team 29:42 Pre-Mortem Planning Works 31:04 Final Thoughts on Crisis Prep Key Takeaways ✅Past crisis experience is valuable, but it isn't enough by itself. ✅Leaders need a repeatable system for managing disruption. ✅Self-management is the starting point of effective crisis leadership. ✅Learning to respond rather than react can improve decision-making under pressure. ✅Crises can be viewed through three phases: incubating, emerging, and acute. ✅Decision-making should move toward the people with the most relevant expertise. ✅Crisis teams should focus on the few actions that matter most. ✅Leadership teams should practice crisis scenarios before a real crisis occurs. ✅Pre-mortems can help organizations identify vulnerabilities before they become problems. ✅Pessimistic perspectives can be valuable for identifying risks and blind spots. Connect With Today's Guest Henry J. Evans is a C-suite coach, strategic planning facilitator, and author with extensive experience in crisis leadership and national security. He has accumulated more than 16,000 hours of C-suite coaching and approximately 6,000 hours facilitating strategic planning sessions for multinational organizations. He also spent 22 years working with national security threats, primarily in counterterrorism. Henry's perspective on crisis leadership is also shaped by personal experience. After building a successful company, his business experienced a significant decline in revenue following 9/11 and ultimately went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That experience led to a new chapter in his career involving national security and counterterrorism work. He is the author of Bombs, Bacon, and Bankruptcy: The Art of Crisis Leadership, a book focused on the principles and systems leaders can use to navigate crisis more effectively. How to Connect with Henry J. Evans LinkedIn: Henry J. Evans  (LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryevansdynamicresults/ Company Website: dynamicresults.com– to learn more about his work and platform Get In Touch with Henry: henryjevans.com Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. 🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com 🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

In this episode, we discuss self-awareness in leadership and why it becomes important when old ways of leading no longer work. We talk about how founders can get stuck doing too much themselves and how that can affect alignment, focus, and team performance. We also look at the question of "Who am I being?" as a way to notice reactive or unfocused behaviors that may hold a leader back. We share a personal example from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to show how recognizing unhelpful traits can lead to more consistency, discipline, and intention, and we close by encouraging listeners to think about the kind of leader they need to become. Episode Highlights & Timestamps 0:11 Self-Awareness in Leadership 2:18 The Hero Complex Trap 4:07 Who Are You Being? 5:47 Lessons From Jiu Jitsu 7:58 Becoming a Better Leader What You'll Learn ✅Why self-awareness is essential for effective leadership and business growth. ✅How the habits that helped you succeed can eventually hold you back. ✅How the "hero complex" can keep founders too involved in the day-to-day. ✅The importance of asking, "Who am I being that is getting in the way of what I want?" ✅How to identify the qualities you need to develop to become the leader your company needs. Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com and getfounderfreedom.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. 🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com 🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

What does powerful leadership look like when a business is growing and challenges arise? In this episode, we explore how founders, CEOs, and business leaders can take ownership instead of blaming employees. We discuss practical leadership strategies, including clear communication, active listening, empathy, feedback, accountability, and setting expectations. We also examine the people and culture challenges that come with growth, including employee performance, organizational chaos, and difficult conversations. Finally, we address when coaching and support aren't enough and how leaders can recognize when it's time to part ways. A practical conversation about leadership, company culture, accountability, and building high-performing teams. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:10 Leading Without Blame 1:49 Lead Powerfully, Not Reactively 3:48 The Four Phases of Tough Talks 5:41 Knowing When to Let Go What You'll Learn ✅Why blaming employees rarely creates meaningful change ✅How powerful leadership begins with personal ownership ✅When to listen, show empathy, communicate directly, or give tough feedback ✅How unclear expectations can contribute to employee performance issues ✅Why different situations require different leadership approaches ✅How to have difficult conversations that actually create movement ✅When coaching and accountability aren't enough ✅How to recognize when it may be time to part ways with an employee Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com and getfounderfreedom.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. 🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com 🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

Featuring Andrew Razumovsky, co-founder of CANDA Solutions, this episode of *Growth Think Tank* explores what it takes to scale a company, develop leaders, and build an organization that can operate beyond the founders. Founded in 2008, CANDA Solutions has grown into an Inc. 5000 Rank No. 538 (2026) company serving federal government needs in vetting, adjudication, and investigations management. Andrew shares lessons from CANDA's growth journey, including bringing in outside coaching to sharpen strategy, establish metrics, and strengthen leadership. He also discusses using AI to analyze data while keeping human judgment at the center and empowering teams to solve problems independently. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:03 Founder Growth Challenge 4:06 Building Kenda Solutions 5:01 AI and Human Judgment 7:58 Early Growth and Founder Dependence 10:19 Learning to Ask for Help 14:02 Growing Leaders Internally 18:08 Starfish Leadership Model 21:15 Advice for Scaling Founders In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why founder dependency can become the biggest barrier to growth How founders can transition from doing everything to developing leaders Why investing in your own leadership development matters How outside coaching and perspective can accelerate organizational growth Why internal leadership development creates a stronger organization How to create a culture where employees bring solutions, not just problems What the starfish leadership model looks like in practice How AI can complement human judgment rather than replace it Why founders need to become comfortable letting go of decisions How to build a company that can operate and scale beyond the founder The ultimate goal isn't to make yourself less important to your company. It's to build a company that no longer depends on you for everything. Connect With Today's Guest Andrew Razumovsky is the Co-Founder and Principal of CANDA Solutions, a technology and risk management company serving national security and federal government organizations. With more than two decades of experience in technology, enterprise architecture, risk management, and business development, Andrew has helped lead CANDA's growth and product innovation. He is also focused on using technology and AI to improve risk management while keeping human decision-making at the center. How to Connect with Andrew Razumovsky LinkedIn: Andrew Razumovsky(LinkedIn) Company Website: CANDA Solutions – to learn more about his work and platform Get In Touch with Andrew: Contact Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at training.coreelevation.com to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. 🌐 Explore More: training.coreelevation.com 🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast

Your team won't make decisions because you're always available to make them. Employee decision-making is the critical element that separates founder-dependent companies from team-driven ones. In this episode, Gene shares a breakthrough from one of his founder clients who discovered that strategic unavailability forces his team to think independently. By blocking off time and removing himself from the equation, his leadership team started making decisions without him and built the ownership and grit required to scale. You'll learn why your availability is the enemy of employee decision-making, how to design strategic unavailability as a delegation framework, and why stepping back is the fastest way to move from bottleneck to freedom. Employee decision-making isn't given. It's claimed when your team has no choice but to think for themselves. If you want a business that runs without you, start here. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:09 Too Available Hurts Decisions 3:53 Absence Forces Growth 6:09 Strategic Unavailability Works What You'll Learn ✅Why being too available can unintentionally create employee dependency ✅How leaders can empower employees to think and make decisions for themselves ✅Why confidence and ownership grow through real decision-making experience ✅How to create decision-making frameworks that employees can actually use ✅The importance of distinguishing between decisions employees can make and decisions that require leadership involvement ✅How strategically stepping away can accelerate team development ✅Why founders should schedule intentional time away from the business ✅How the concept of one-way doors and two-way doors can help teams make decisions faster ✅Why mistakes and setbacks are essential to developing leadership capacity ✅How to move from working in the business to working on the business Resources & Next Steps Ready to take your leadership energy to the next level? Explore free training and resources at https://training.coreelevation.com/ and https://freebook.coreelevation.com/ to help you identify energy leaks, strengthen your leadership presence, and elevate your team's performance. 🌐 Explore More: https://training.coreelevation.com/ 🎧 Listen to the Full Episode: Growth Think Tank Podcast