Remember the last time you had a brilliant insight about your business? It probably didn't happen while answering emails. In this episode, Jake reveals how getting caught in the daily operational grind leads to burnout and stagnation - and shares his simple 5-minute "Zoom Out" exercise that can transform your leadership perspective.

You'll learn:

• Why being stuck in "ground-level leadership" keeps your business frozen in place
• The three powerful questions that reveal your true priorities
• How physically changing your environment changes your mental state
• A practical weekly ritual to reclaim your role as a strategic leader

Plus, Jake shares candid stories about his own leadership mistakes - from implementing unnecessary systems to missing the forest for the trees in restaurant operations.

Try the Friction Finder Quiz: foundrysolutions.com/frictionfinder

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter's research on "zooming in and zooming out".
• The 5-minute "Zoom Out" exercise (paper, three questions, new location)
• Jake's Monday morning garage workbench ritual

CITATION:

Kanter, R. M. (2011). "Zoom In, Zoom Out." Harvard Business Review, 89(3), 112-116.

Link to article: https://hbr.org/2011/03/managing-yourself-zoom-in-zoom-out

In this article, Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter introduces the concept of "zooming in and zooming out" as a critical leadership ability. She explains how effective leaders must be able to shift between detailed focus (zoom in) and big-picture thinking (zoom out), rather than remaining fixed in one perspective. This approach helps leaders make better strategic decisions by seeing both the forest and the trees.

You know that feeling when you're drowning in your own to-do list? When every email feels urgent and you're bouncing from crisis to crisis? This week, I'm sharing the wake-up call that changed how I think about priorities - including the day I discovered I had 87 "urgent" things on my list that turned out to be just 4 real priorities.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why small business owners get stuck in reactive fire drill mode
• How to spot false urgency vs. real deadlines
• The simple 3-question framework that cuts through the chaos
• Why giving yourself permission to let things go is actually a leadership skill

If you're tired of treating every task like an emergency, this one's for you.

Download the "5 Signs You've Outgrown Your Ops" checklist on my website, www.foundryis.com.