The Leadership Advice I Quietly Ignore

Most leadership advice assumes there is one right way to wake up, work, and lead. I quietly ignore most of it. And after building and selling a company, I have noticed that the people building the most interesting businesses tend to do the same.

One morning, I stayed in bed with my coffee and opened my phone. According to most leadership podcasts, that is basically a crime. Apparently the correct way to wake up is: no phone, journal immediately, meditate, cold plunge, gratitude practice, and probably stare directly into the sunrise like a warrior monk. Meanwhile, I am reading Instagram comments and seeing who replied to an email.

You know what? I like it. It feels connected. It wakes up my brain. It works for me.

Which got me thinking about something bigger.

Who Made All These Rules?

Not just the morning routine ones. All of them. The rules about how leaders should run their day. How entrepreneurs should grow. How visible you should be. How polished you should sound.

I am guessing you have felt this too: the pressure to do things the “right way.” To follow someone else’s playbook. To perform the version of leadership that looks good on a podcast.

What Happens When You Stop Following Someone Else’s Playbook?

Here is what I have noticed after building and selling a company and working with operators across the country: the ones who build the most interesting businesses do not follow the rules. They experiment. They adjust. They keep what works and ignore what does not.

For me, that means coffee in bed and phone first. For you, it might be something completely different. Leadership is about paying attention to your rhythms, your instincts, and your energy, not copying someone else’s routine.

The best operators I know are the rebels. They figured out what actually works instead of what they are supposed to do. And they are winning.

Which Rules Are You Ready to Stop Following?

Which “right way” have you been performing that does not actually serve you? Because the goal is not to build a life that looks impressive. The goal is to build a life, and a business, that actually works.

That is the work we do inside Slayer’s Built to Acquire™: building a business around the way you actually lead, not someone else’s rulebook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it bad to follow a morning routine?

Not at all. The point is not that routines are wrong. It is that your routine should come from your own rhythms, instincts, and energy instead of someone else’s playbook. If journaling and a cold plunge genuinely work for you, keep them. If coffee in bed with your phone wakes up your brain, that works too.

Do successful business owners really ignore leadership advice?

In my experience building and selling a company and working with operators across the country, the people building the most interesting businesses experiment and adjust. They keep what works and ignore what does not, instead of performing a version of leadership that looks good on a podcast.

How do I know which rules to stop following?

Ask yourself which “right way” you have been performing that does not actually serve you. The goal is not a life that looks impressive. It is a life and a business that actually work for you.