Scott Boulas has led complex sales organizations, advised leaders across more than 30 industries, and delivered over a billion dollars in revenue. He still begins the same way with every new CEO: by pressing pause. “You cannot invest your way out of dysfunction,” he tells them. Before another dollar goes to ads, headcount, or a new tech stack, Boulas asks leaders to watch their “game film.” By this he means a quick football-style review: like athletes watching tape to spot mistakes, CEOs must step back and see how they lead and where blind spots exist.
The former Army officer and healthcare technology CEO believes growth starts with self-awareness, an honest inventory of strengths and gaps, and the humility to accept what that tape shows. Some teams have a dominant line and should run the ball. Others need a quick passing game. “You have to know who you are,” he says. In business terms, too many CEOs default to more sales and more marketing when the real issue is execution, role clarity, or a culture that discourages candor. His first counsel is to slow down, diagnose precisely, and then invest with confidence.
Build a Sideline of Truth-Tellers
If the CEO is the head coach, who challenges the coach when habits drift and blind spots grow? Boulas argues that inside teams often get “softer” over time. The remedy he builds is a confidential, non-competing peer advisory group of a dozen to 18 CEOs. “They are better assistant coaches,” he says, “because they do not have to tell you what you want to hear. They tell you what you need to hear.”
The sessions put the leader “on tape.” A member might ask whether the current senior team can take the business from 20 million to 200 million. Peers interrogate the logic, pressure-test assumptions, and surface the uncomfortable truth. “Those peers will tell you very clearly you are the problem. But feedback is a gift. It comes from a place of wanting you and your company to be better,” says Boulas, who hosts sessions for CEOs and business owners through his peer advisory groups.
Run Fewer Plays. Run Them to Perfection.
Boulas asks leaders to master a handful of core disciplines rather than chase complexity. He references Remember the Titans to make the point: five plays, executed flawlessly. In business that becomes product quality, on-time delivery, honoring promises, removing customer risk, and responsive service. “You do not need trick plays,” he says. “You need to run the right few plays to perfection.”
That requires trust and delegation. Many founders of early stage companies try to sit in every meeting, approve every offer, and handle every major customer issue. It burns them out and stalls the company. Senior leaders disengage because decisions always climb back to the top. The turnaround begins when the CEO sets clear roles, grants real authority, and accepts being held accountable by the team and by peers. The result is more time for strategy, whether that is a three-to-five-year plan, a new market, or thoughtful exit planning. “If you are in every meeting, you are not doing that.”
Develop People Before You Replace Them
When frustration spikes, firing and rehiring can feel like the fastest fix. Boulas calls it the most expensive mistake. Leaders lose time, forfeit development, and carry home the emotional cost of letting people go. He prefers a discipline of coaching with tape, reps, and clear standards. Celebrate wins, then examine the plays that left yards on the field. “Great game, now let’s pick up that blitz and make that block,” he says. The compounding effect of this approach is real performance improvement and a culture that expects growth, not perfection.
Peer groups reinforce that mindset. Members share the strains most leaders carry in silence, from family stress to health crises. Trust builds, perspective widens, and leaders show up differently at work and at home. Boulas cites data that organizations led by CEOs who work with a facilitator like a Vistage chair perform, on average, 2.2 times better than similar companies. He sees that multiplier as the outcome of disciplined fundamentals, unvarnished feedback, and leaders who stop going it alone.
The First Call, In One Line
“You cannot invest your way out of dysfunction,” he says. For him, the way forward is not more budget, but the courage to watch your tape, the humility to be coached, and the discipline to execute a few plays with precision. In doing so, spending becomes true investment, customers become fans, and growth shifts from hope to habit.
Follow Scott Boulas on social media on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), or visit his website, for more insights.
