Your Board Is Running the Company. Here’s How to Take Back Control.

Real CEOs lead. Fake ones just nod along.

I've sat in too many boardrooms watching brilliant CEOs get their visions crushed by "strategic feedback" and "investor alignment." 

Their fire gets snuffed out meeting by meeting.

Here's what drives me crazy: 

If you hired someone to run your company, let them run it. 

Stop micromanaging every bold move into mediocrity.

The best companies are led by CEOs who:

- Trust their gut
- Make fast decisions
- Take big swings
- Own their failures
- Learn and adapt

An easy way to tell who runs the show? 

Watch what happens when the board disagrees with the CEO’s strategy.

True leaders stand their ground. The rest just play pretend.

How CEOs Give Up Control to Their Boards

• Too much deference. You work for the board, sure, but that doesn’t mean they should dictate strategy. You know the company better than anyone.

• Fear of pushback. You hesitate to challenge board opinions because you don’t want to lose their confidence (or your job).

• Lack of clear boundaries. The board exists for governance, not day-to-day decisions. If they’re creeping into operations, that’s on you.

• You allow “assignments.” Many BOD members like to suggest “assignments” for the CEO to prepare for Board meetings. Your remedy? Ask them to prepare presentations as well. It ends the practice of them showing their importance.

How to Take Back Control

1. Set the Vision and Own It. Boards should challenge your vision, not set it. Make it crystal clear where the company is headed and why. If you don’t lead with conviction, they’ll fill the gap. Welcome the challenges and thank the BOD members for sharing them.

2. Control the Narrative. If you let the board shape the conversation, you’ll always be on the defensive. Lead every meeting with strategic clarity. Show how your plan drives shareholder value, and make them react to you, not the other way around.

3. Push Back (Strategically). You don’t have to fight every battle, but you do need to hold your ground where it matters. When the board overreaches, remind them of their role: oversight, not execution. Challenge them to trust the team they hired - you!

4. Align Key Players Before the Meeting. Board meetings aren’t where decisions happen, they’re where they get confirmed. Have key conversations with influential board members beforehand so you walk in knowing where the support lies.

The Best CEOs Lead. They Don’t Just Answer to the Board.

If your board is making all the big calls, you’re not really the CEO - they are.

Your job is to drive the company forward. 

Their job is to advise and hold you accountable.

Set the agenda. Own the strategy. Lead like a CEO.

When you’re ready to discover your genius, here’s how I can help you:

1. Genius Talent™ Discovery. Uncover the one thing you do better than anyone else - your unique, innate talent. Since it's embedded in your DNA, you can't see it yourself, but once identified, work starts to feel like play, and your impact multiplies.

2. 1:1 CEO Coaching. Schedule a no obligation first session to find your superpower, connect with your highest ROI activities, and succeed with less effort and stress.

3. 3:1 CEO Coaching. Embark on a transformative journey toward realizing your limitless capabilities, partnering with two other CEOs. Learn and grow together.

Go forth and scale,

— John Hittler