Welcome to Emerge Insights, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal cutting-edge tips to help you find momentum, scale up your business, and reclaim your life.
Read time: 6.49 minutes.
Read this on: jeanmoncrieff.com
What's in store for today:
- What is the CEO Doom Loop?
- How to use AI for Strategic Planning
- Small Giants in Europe
Hey {{first_name}},
This week on The Freedom Experience, I had an incredible chat with Glen Dall.
Glen's journey is something to behold—starting on an assembly line in the automotive industry, climbing his way up to the CEO of a publicly traded company, and transitioning into coaching winning leadership teams.
He knows a thing or two about what it takes to lead a thriving business and, more importantly, what traps to avoid.
Here's this week's episode with Glen Dall...
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1. What is the CEO Doom Loop?
One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation was Glen’s idea of the "CEO Doom Loop."
Ever feel like you're constantly putting out fires, getting sucked into the day-to-day grind, and losing sight of the bigger picture?
That's the Doom Loop in action.
Glen explained how CEOs can fall into this trap when fear takes over, decision-making gets muddled, and micromanagement starts creeping in.
Glen's research for The CEO Playbook digs deep into this.
When CEOs lose confidence or clarity, they often end up micromanaging, taking back tasks they should have delegated, or reacting instead of leading.
It’s a vicious cycle that doesn’t just hurt the CEO but the entire organization.
I've seen this happen so many times—leaders stuck in reactive mode, thinking they're saving the day but actually driving the company further off course.
How to Break Free:
Here’s what Glen shared that I found super practical:
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Build a Strong Leadership Team: If you’re constantly stepping in, there’s probably a gap in your team. Find people you trust who align with your vision so you can get back to steering the ship instead of swabbing the decks.
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Don’t Forget the Soft Stuff: Vision, core values, culture—these are not just fluff. They’re the foundation. If your team doesn’t know where you’re headed or why they should care, that’s a problem.
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Get Outside Perspective: Whether it’s a peer group, a business coach, or a solid framework, having someone (or something) to hold you accountable is key. We all have blind spots; sometimes, you need someone to help you see what you’re missing.
My Big Takeaway...
Talking with Glen reminded me just how easy it is to fall into these traps.
If you’re finding yourself micromanaging, firefighting, or feeling overwhelmed, it might be time to ask: Are you slipping into the Doom Loop? And if so, what are you going to do about it?
You can catch the full episode of The Freedom Experience with Glen Dall wherever you get your podcasts.
Trust me, there’s a lot more gold in there.
2. How to use AI for Strategic Planning
I’m the first to admit it—I can’t live without ChatGPT.
We’ve had countless conversations.
Full disclosure, I just had a long chat with ChatGPT about this very article.
It’s convinced it can revolutionize strategic planning, and while I appreciate its confidence (and persistence), I’ve got to set the record straight.
Look, there’s a lot of buzz out there about AI and strategic planning. A manager in a recent HBR article even described the concept as "mouthwatering."
Mouthwatering... really?
It’s about as mouthwatering as one of those boxed sandwiches you buy at a gas station—it looks delicious, but when you take a bite, it’s ancient.
Now, don’t get me wrong; AI is a fantastic tool.
It can crunch data like nobody’s business and provide insights that might take humans days or weeks to uncover.
But here’s the rub: if everyone’s using the same AI tools, feeding in similar prompts, and drawing from the same data sets, are you really developing a unique strategy? Or are you just letting a super-fast, tireless researcher dig through the past?
As Michael Porter famously said, true strategy is about "creating a unique and valuable position through a different set of activities."
This is where I think AI gets a little ahead of itself.
Sure, it can support the strategic process, but it doesn’t replace the deep thinking, creativity, and understanding of market dynamics that go into creating a truly differentiated strategy.
Those "aha!" moments—the ones that lead to real breakthroughs—usually don’t come from analyzing what’s already been done.
They come from seeing the landscape differently and asking, “What if?”
The Real Challenge: Execution, Not Ideation
And here’s another thing: even if you nail down the perfect strategy, what about execution? Strategy without execution is just a nice idea on a PowerPoint slide.
AI isn’t going to roll up its sleeves and get your team aligned to make that strategy happen.
It won’t build a high-performing culture or motivate your people to go above and beyond.
Execution requires a human touch—leadership, communication, alignment, and sometimes some tough love.
So, what should you focus on to scale your business and maximize its value?
Build an A-player leadership team—one that knows the market, crafts a differentiated strategy, and creates a powerful execution machine to make it happen.
Sure, use AI as a tool in your toolkit, but don’t mistake it for the silver bullet.
Need some help building that leadership team and regaining momentum in your business?
Join our upcoming Foundations for Growth Masterclasses 👇
3. Small Giants in Europe
Haven’t heard of the Small Giants Community yet?
We're a global group of purpose-driven business leaders who are all about building companies that are great instead of just big.
The community focuses on values-based leadership, creating meaningful company cultures, and positively impacting their communities.
And guess what?
This community is coming to Europe!
I’m excited to let you know that we’re bringing a fledgling group of European Small Giants together for a gathering in Zurich on Friday, the 18th of October.
It’s shaping up to be a fantastic chance to connect with like-minded leaders, share stories, and learn from each other.
This week, I had an inspiring conversation with a Small Giant company in Germany that embodies the community's values, particularly in its approach to employee engagement and community involvement.
The owner shared some incredible insights about running a business that isn’t particularly "sexy" and how challenging it can be to attract and retain employees.
To address this, he took an innovative approach: he opened a second business focusing on family and community to draw people in. This new venture serves as a gateway, attracting potential employees who then discover opportunities within their original cleaning company.
What really inspired me was the lengths he goes to retain staff, especially during difficult economic times. His commitment to creating a supportive, values-driven workplace is remarkable.
Our conversation was a powerful reminder that when we focus on culture, purpose, and community, we can build companies that people want to work for—no matter the industry.
I’ll share his full story in a few weeks, so stay tuned!
But, in the meantime...
If you’re interested in learning more about the Small Giants Community and how to get involved in Europe, reply to this email, and I’ll send you more details about the Zurich event.
It’s going to be an incredible gathering of like-minded leaders, and we’d love to have you join us.
One quote to start the week strong
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
​– Michael Jordan
When challenges arise and everything feels chaotic, it’s easy to get stuck focusing on what's going wrong.
But real leadership lies in shifting your mindset from problem-obsessed to solution-focused.
Ask yourself: Am I stuck in the problem, or am I actively experimenting to find a way through?
This shift not only determines how quickly you overcome the obstacle but also how you grow from it.
Remember, treating each challenge as an experiment opens up unexpected pathways and possibilities.
Have a great week!
- Jean
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