10 Leadership Lessons from Becoming a CEO at 30

When my parents died in sudden succession, I stepped in as CEO of the family business, Nitschke Real Estate, at just 30 years old, with no prior management or leadership experience.

If you’ve read my book, Leading Out of Loss, you’ll know the surprise I soon learned, which catapulted me into the most transformative time of my life (and for the business).

I nearly lost it all, by no fault of my own.

1. You are not your circumstances
You are not what’s happening to you. Reframe the meaning you place on each situation. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. When you look at life through this lens, everything is a growth opportunity. Life is happening for you, not to you.

2. 3 steps to success
Elevate your state of mind, raise your standards, and simplify your strategies. This three-pronged framework will allow you to achieve ‘better before bigger’, which all businesses should strive for.

3. Rockefeller habits
Draw inspiration from the leadership greats, such as the Rockefeller habits. For us, it was setting up communication rhythms to align a fractured team. You might outgrow these rhythms and that’s okay. Find what works now.

4. Consistency compounds
Focus on being 1% better daily, not making big swings. Daily commitment in the direction of your goals will get you where you want to go. Goals are a moving target, so be okay with your plans changing.

5. There’s power in authenticity
When your back’s against the wall and you have nothing to lose (or nothing to give), you’ll find humility and grace. The business world needs less ego, and adopting an authentic approach to leadership will set you apart. Attract an aligned team and clients, by being you.

6. You don’t need business or leadership training
Mindset wins over management experience any day of the week. Yes, having leadership development strategies are helpful, what really matters is how you show up and lead through the challenges (and successes).

7. Look outside your industry for inspiration
Your competitors aren’t just in your industry. They’re all the other businesses that serve your clients and customers. What can you bring to your company and industry that’s surprising, fresh, and unexpected? It doesn’t have to be a great innovation. It can be something as simple as a new way of communicating with clients.

8. Right people, right seats
As EOS suggests, have the right people with shared values, sitting in the right seats (roles).
It’s simple, but not easy to execute:

• Right people: Are they a vision and values match?
• Right seats: Do they get the role? Do they want the role? Do they have capacity for the role?

9. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel
Speaking of EOS, lean on successful business frameworks that you resonate with, then make it your own. Think of systems and frameworks as blueprints that you can put your own business stamp on.

10. You’re capable of more than you think
This is probably the most important of all. Growth follows grief, which comes in all forms. It’s not just life and death. The birth-death cycle is evident in all parts of life. It might mean losing a high-performing employee who is essential to your profit. Back yourself, always.

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