I Was Miserable As CEO | Sam Knight - Exec Coach

Most founders think they can figure it out alone - until they crash.

Sam Knight was "very, very resistant" to coaching, convinced it was just "talking about feelings." Then his friend forced him to try it...

This is the story of how losing his father at 15 shaped his leadership blind spots, and why facing them transformed both his company and his life.

🧠 What You'll Learn

▪️ The performance management framework that separates high-growth teams from collections of individuals

▪️ Why "I am because we are" (Ubuntu philosophy) transforms competitive founders into collaborative leaders

▪️ The five pillars every leader must master (and why most CEOs score poorly on at least two)

▪️ How childhood trauma creates invisible leadership blind spots that sabotage teams

▪️ How to spot what you know is true now but will only admit in six months' time

▪️ Why feeling words at work unlock deeper team connection and performance

📖 Chapters

00:00 - From Resistant CEO to Coaching Convert

06:11 - The Yoko Ono Exhibition That Changed Everything

11:24 - Pollinate: Building and Selling a B2B Platform

13:52 - "I Really Just Wasn't Enjoying My Job"

17:38 - The Five Pillars of Leadership Framework

25:47 - Goal Setting vs Accountability: What's the Difference?

32:43 - Why Most Teams Avoid Performance Management

42:43 - The Question That Reveals Hidden Truths

49:02 - Ubuntu: "I Am Because We Are"

1:02:18 - Losing Your Father and Leading Others

1:13:06 - Preparing for Fatherhood After Loss

1:16:56 - The Ubuntu Philosophy That Transforms Teams

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