Moving from Working In to Working On the Business

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." - Warren Bennis

Dear High-Growth Leaders,?

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Over the past four months, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with many CEOs and leaders who are excited about their growth opportunities in 2025.

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When I ask what’s holding them back, the answer is often the same: time.

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They feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Despite working harder than ever, they’re not seeing the profit results they expect. The next most common answer is team dynamics or issues with people on their team.?

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As CEOs and business leaders, we’ve all found ourselves knee-deep in the day-to-day grind—managing operations, putting out fires, and tackling an endless to-do list.

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This is what we call working in the business.

While essential, it often pulls us away from the strategic thinking and future-focused leadership required to truly drive sustainable growth. The truth is, if we stay stuck in the weeds, it’s nearly impossible to lead our companies toward their true potential.?

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I’ve been there myself, and I’ve seen many high-growth organizations wrestle with this very challenge. Shifting from working in to working on the business is not only necessary for long-term success; it’s the key to unlocking sustainable, repeatable growth.

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The question is, how do we make that shift? This is where the Metronomics Growth Operating System comes in.?

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The Power of Working On the Business?

When you work on the business, you're focused on vision, strategy, and leadership—on ensuring the company’s path is clear and its growth trajectory is sustainable. You're not just executing the daily operations; you’re shaping the future. This requires stepping back to focus on:?

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• Developing a strong strategic plan (hello, 3HAG!)?
• Building an A-Player cohesive leadership team that shares the load?
• Creating a culture of accountability that drives performance?
• Measuring and managing the right metrics that predict future success?

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How Metronomics Helps You Make the Shift?

The Metronomics Growth Operating System is built to take you from being bogged down in your business to rising above and working on it. Here’s how:?

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1. Framework for Clarity: With Metronomics, we take complex business operations and streamline them into a manageable rhythm. It gives you a framework to get crystal clear on your 3-year Highly Achievable Goal (3HAG), connecting the dots between today’s actions and long-term goals.?
2. Team Accountability: It’s easy to feel like everything falls on your shoulders when you're in the weeds. Metronomics empowers your team to take ownership, so the entire leadership team is accountable for driving growth. You are no longer alone in executing the vision.
3. Data-Driven Decisions: You can't work on the business if you're making decisions based on gut feeling alone. With Metronomics, you’ll have the right metrics and dashboards in place to guide your decisions with confidence, based on data that predicts your business performance.?
4. Consistent Planning and Review Cadence: The system creates a rhythm of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual planning that ensures you're consistently working on strategy, not just operations. It forces you to get out of the weeds, assess your progress, and adjust your approach.?
5. Scaling for Growth: Finally, the shift from in to on sets your business up to scale. When your time is focused on the big picture, you can be proactive about growth opportunities and tackle challenges head-on, instead of being reactive.?

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Moving Forward?

If you’ve found yourself stuck in the grind of daily operations, it’s time to make a change. You owe it to yourself, your team, and your business to elevate your leadership. The Metronomics Growth Operating System will help you get there, providing the system and confidence to shift your focus to what truly matters—building a scalable, sustainable business that can grow without you being involved in every detail.?

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Ready to take that step? Let’s get to work on your business.?

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Onward and upward,?

Shannon Byrne Susko

Founder & CEO, Metronomics

Connect with me

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P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some resources that could help you on your growth journey…

1. Join one of my upcoming workshops to learn more about business growth and how to apply it to achieve the growth you want.

2. Take the business growth phase assessment to discover where your business stands in its growth journey, and get a report based on your answers delivered directly to your inbox.

3. Grab a copy of one of my best-selling books?- I recommend 'The M Game' - this book is a best-seller and has been read by thousands of CEOs globally. It?is a?must read for any CEO who is stuck on the journey of growing a business.