As I write this message I’m chuckling over a mental image of my 30 plus daughter wailing “I’m not ready to be an adult!” It’s my experience that we all have days when we wish there was someone else out there to take the pressure; to take responsibility and offer a helping hand. As a leader we have become the adult others look to for support. 

To succeed as a leader, though, doesn’t mean working harder, smiling through exhaustion, or pretending you have it all figured out. It means choosing strategy over drama, boundaries over burnout and discipline to our actions. 

The five things that I use to ‘adult up’ (especially on a Monday morning!) are: 

1. Treat your calendar like sacred land. 

If you say yes to every request, every “quick coffee,” and every pop-up meeting, you’re not building a business; you’re just being available. Successful entrepreneurs curate their time to maximise their highest value, ensuring space for critical leadership actions. 

2. Kill the noise. 

Notifications? Off. Email? Twice a day, max. Multi-tasking? Don’t. Set two deep-focus slots in your day, no distractions, just execution. I prefer first thing in the morning for best outcomes – but you may have your own preferences for quality worktime.  

3. Make decisions faster. 

Indecision is expensive. Waiting for perfect data or 100% approval slows everything down. Make the call, own the outcome, adjust as needed. Trust your judgement, learn fast and grow. 

4. Ask better questions. 

In the age of AI, everything is about the quality of your questions. Instead of “How do I get more clients?” ask, “What would make my offer irresistible?” Instead of “Why is this so hard?” ask, “Where am I still playing small?”  

5. Don’t romanticize the grind. 

Work that feels like punishment is a systems problem, not a character flaw. Simplify. Automate. Delegate. Get ruthless about it. Building a business should stretch you,  not chew you up. 

Here’s the truth: businesses don’t grow when their founders act busy. They grow when their founders act brave. Deliberately. Like grown-ups. 

You’ve got this. Take a breath, stand tall and build. You can do it!