You Can't Lead Your Team Until You Lead Yourself First | DFH

You run the meetings. You make the calls. You put out the fires. But who is leading you?

Executive coach Dusty Holcomb works with CEOs stuck at the same wall. They built their success by doing everything themselves, and now that same habit is the thing blocking their next level.

The Triathlon That Started It All

Dusty got tired of the gym about 17 years ago. He tried a sprint triathlon instead and loved it.

The next day he signed up for an Ironman.

He admits it was not the wisest decision. An Ironman takes about a year of training to prepare for from scratch.

Success Today, Not Just Race Day

Dusty coaches himself the same way he coaches CEOs. Success on race day depends on the work you do today.

A year out feels far away. That distance can trick you into waiting.

Dusty breaks the year down into the work in front of him right now.

Decide In Advance

Dusty works 80-hour weeks when he lets himself. He has to take care of his body and mind, plus his family and his faith. That balance keeps him good at his job.

He decides in advance what matters most each week. Then he gives himself permission to say yes and no.

Build Your Own Rules of Engagement

Dusty gives every leader he coaches a playbook called the Rules of Engagement. It has one line that matters most: what do I expect of myself.

Write that standard down and you cannot unlearn it. You will fall short some days. That is fine. The standard still holds.

Once you share your standard with someone else, they can hold you to it. That is what makes it real instead of just an idea in your head.

Set Your Minimum Good

Dusty used to believe that if he could not run 10 miles, running was not worth doing at all. He had to unlearn that belief.

Now he sets a minimum good. If a full workout is not possible, 10,000 steps or 100 pushups still counts. That is his floor, and he will not go below it.

Minimum good is not the goal. It is the standard you protect on your worst day, so a bad day never turns into a lost week.

Pulling Your Future Self Forward

Brian shared his own version of this idea on the show.

He pictures himself 5 years from now. Then he throws a lasso around that version of himself and starts pulling him closer today.

Even Dusty has a coach. Growth does not stop once you reach the top.

What This Means For You

You do not have to wait for permission to become your future self.

Decide what matters this week. Then build your training the same way Dusty built his Ironman plan, one day at a time.

Listen to the Related Episode

Listen to Episode 109: The CEO's Strategy to Lead Yourself First with Dusty Holcomb.

Read the companion article on the Driven For Health podcast blog: The CEO Coach Who Signed Up for an Ironman the Day After His First Triathlon.

Common Questions From This Episode

Who is Dusty Holcomb?

He is an executive coach who works with CEOs and leaders through major turning points.

What made Dusty sign up for an Ironman?

He tried a sprint triathlon, loved it and signed up for an Ironman the very next day.

What does Dusty mean by deciding in advance?

He decides what matters most each week. Then he gives himself permission to say yes and no.

What is Brian's future self exercise?

He pictures himself 5 years from now, then pulls that version of himself closer today.

Does an executive coach need his own coach?

Yes. Dusty has a coach of his own to keep improving.

What are Rules of Engagement?

A short playbook Dusty builds with every leader he coaches. The most important line in it is what do I expect of myself.

What does minimum good mean?

The smallest standard you will still hit on a bad day, like 10,000 steps instead of a full workout. It is your floor, not your goal.