Using the Apex CEO Playbook: Alignment, Product, People, Margins

Most new CEOs get blindsided in year one.
You think the job is about making big decisions — but the real work is letting go, seeing clearly, and building a team that can actually execute.

In this week’s newsletter, I break down the classic Seven Surprises for New CEOs and show how I coach founders through them using the Apex CEO operating system.

If you’re a new CEO or a founder stepping into a real leadership role for the first time, this will save you years of painful lessons.

👇 Full article below

I Always Wanted to Be a Lifeguard. Instead, I Became a CEO.

I grew up surfing in Huntington Beach. I always thought I’d end up a lifeguard.
Life had other plans — I built and sold a company instead.

But the job isn’t that different: you scan the horizon, watch for danger, make fast calls under pressure, and lead people through chaos.

Years ago, Michael Porter published “The Seven Surprises for New CEOs,” and after coaching dozens of founders through Apex CEO, I can tell you — every one of these surprises is real.

Here’s how to overcome them using the Apex CEO Playbook: Alignment, Product, People, and Margins.

Surprise #1: “You Can’t Run the Company.”

The Fix: Let Go Through Alignment + Quarterly Goals

Every first-time CEO thinks they can outwork the job. You can’t.

Your value isn’t in doing — it’s in setting direction.

Here’s how you break the bottleneck:

• Install weekly and monthly meeting rhythms

• Set 3–5 quarterly priorities with clear owners

• Use OKRs to stay out of the weeds and keep everyone rowing the same way

You steer. They row.

Surprise #2: “Giving Orders Is Very Costly.”

The Fix: Influence Through Vision + KPIs

Every command you give creates a hidden tax: morale, autonomy, culture.

Apex CEOs don’t bark orders — they build alignment around the big picture.

• Set a clear 3–5 year vision and BHAG

• Let your team help shape the roadmap

• Coach through questions, KPIs, and accountability

Influence beats authority every time.

Surprise #3: “It’s Hard to Know What’s Really Going On.”

The Fix: Build Information Flow Through People + Culture

Bad news moves slowly unless you design a culture where it moves fast.

Tools that fix this immediately:

• Monthly skip-level meetings

• Weekly team scorecards

• Dashboards with leading indicators, not just lagging ones

Your People pillar must include truth-tellers, not just doers.

Surprise #4: “You Are Always Sending a Message.”

The Fix: Be Intentional With Communication + Culture

Every look, every reaction, every offhand comment — it all cascades.

How to use it well:

• End every all-hands with a clear message of focus + progress

• Review meeting health scores to keep your tone calibrated

• Reinforce the behaviors you want to scale through 1:1s

You don’t just lead by talking — you lead by how you show up.

Surprise #5: “You’re Not the Boss of Everything.”

The Fix: Manage Up Through Margins + Strategy

Boards, investors, regulators, key customers — they all shape your world.

Your job is to:

• Protect margin with clarity, reporting, and consistency

• Translate strategy into EBITDA improvement

• Build investor confidence by staying ahead of questions

No CEO operates alone.
The best ones create control by over-communicating upward.

Surprise #6: “Pleasing Shareholders Is Not Enough.”

The Fix: Balance the APPM Framework (Alignment, Product, People, Margins)

If you chase revenue at the expense of margins, morale, or product strength — you’re digging your own hole.

Ask yourself:

• Is our product getting stronger or just cheaper?

• Are we retaining A-players or burning them out?

• Are margins improving or are we pushing volume?

Apex CEOs win long-term because they balance Product, People, and Margins — not just top-line growth.

Surprise #7: “You Still Depend on Others to Succeed.”

The Fix: Build a High-Performance Team With Clear Roles + Trust

You’re not supposed to be the smartest person in the room.

Your job is to build the team of experts:

• Hire leaders for ops, sales, finance, product — real leaders

• Bring in people who make you a little uncomfortable

• Create trust + accountability through weekly 1:1s and shared KPIs

Your success comes from making other people successful.

Final Word

Being a CEO is the hardest job you’ll ever love.

It’s full of traps — but with clarity, alignment, and structure, you stop reacting and start scaling.

That’s exactly what the Apex CEO Playbook is built for.

If you're navigating growth, margin pressure, or gearing up for an exit, don’t learn these surprises the hard way. You don’t have to.