Issue 156, Part Time CEO Newsletter

Hey, it's Dhiren 👋,

Here’s a hard truth I’ve had to learn (more than once):

My team moves at the speed of my decisions.

When I hesitate, they hesitate.
No SOP, Notion doc, or “empowered culture” can fix that.
Because when the CEO wobbles, the whole system shakes.
​
Let me tell you what happened with my team.

​
🧠 Shift One: Most teams aren’t slow. Their CEO is stuck.

A few years ago, I had a great sales manager.
Smart, proactive, organized.

But she’d always wait before pulling the trigger.
​
No matter how clear the brief or urgent the task, she’d check in:
​“Are you sure we’re going ahead with this?”
“Should we pause till we have more data?”
“I’m waiting for your go-ahead.”

At first, I blamed her. Then I looked closer.
​

She wasn’t slow.
She was mirroring me.
​
I was the bottleneck.
​
Overthinking every move.
Optimizing for certainty instead of momentum.
And without realizing it, I’d trained my team to wait.
​

🧠 Shift Two: Speed is a leadership habit

So how do you make faster, clearer decisions without being reckless?
​
These three mental models changed the game for me. They’re not mine but I’ve made them part of how I lead.

I first came across them in The Wildest Dream by Jack Wolstencroft, and I keep coming back to them.
​

1. Colin Powell’s 40–70 Rule
   If you have less than 40% of the data, you’re guessing.
   If you wait for more than 70%, you’re stalling.
   ​
   Takeway: Make the call somewhere in between.
   ​
2. Anna Wintour’s Clarity Principle
   "People respond well to those who are sure of what they want. What people hate most is indecision.”
   ​
   Takeway: You don’t need to be right. You need to be clear.
   ​
3. Jeff Bezos’s Door Test
   Bezos splits decisions into two categories:
   • Two-way doors: reversible, low-stakes → move fast
   • One-way doors: permanent, high-impact → move slow
   ​
   Takeway: Founders treat every decision like a one-way door. But very few actually are.

​
Your Turn

This week, look at one decision you’ve been avoiding.

✅ Do you have 40% of the data?
✅ Is it a two-way door?
✅ Can you make a clear call, even if it’s not perfect?
​
Then do it. Decide.

Because every moment you wait… your team slows with you.

🧭 Know a founder who needs to hear this?
Forward this. It could be the push they need.
​​
​

​
📢 Dhiren’s Updates

Last week, I hosted something I’ve dreamed about for years.

The first ever Part-Time CEO Awards Night.

A room full of founders. Recognition not just for what they’ve built on the outside, but who they’ve become on the inside.
​
The feedback was incredible and emotional.
It captured exactly what this community is all about.

Here’s one of my favorite moments from the night 👇

📌 Dhiren’s Pick of the Week

📺 Two Way Doors By Jeff Bezos

If this week’s topic hit home, watch this:

​Jeff Bezos explains the two-way door mindset​

In just 3 minutes, he breaks down a mental model every founder should know. Watch it and then send it to your leadership team.
​
​

​
ps: did someone forward this to you?​
​
Join 200+ creative entrepreneurs getting sharper every week.
Add your email so it can be delivered to your inbox every Thursday
👉 Part Time CEO Newsletter ​

​
Cheers,