50 weeks. 50 fundamental Rules. Dive into the 50 Rules anytime, at any point—each Rule stands on its own, as a singular lesson. But, for maximum momentum, sync with our Jan-Dec, four quarter schedule, where we dive into each Rule week-by-week for an entire year. Plus, engage with business-minded colleagues across our great nation.
Chapter 1 begins on our LinkedIn Page Monday, January 5, 2026 – follow us (and lead better) today!
Chapter 1: weeks 1-5
Featuring these 5 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 1— Rule No. 1: Solve a real problem.
WEEK 2— Rule No. 2: Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
WEEK 3— Rule No. 6: Your first idea is rarely your best.
WEEK 4— Rule No. 10: Never stop learning.
WEEK 5— Rule No. 15: Work on the business, not just in it.
Ask yourself: “Am I building on clarity—or just momentum?”
Chapter 2: weeks 6-9
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 6— Rule No.11: Your Brand is Your Promise
WEEK 7— Rule No.12: Know Your Customer Deeply
WEEK 8— Rule No.18: Your Calendar Reflects Your Priorities
WEEK 9— Rule No.21: Clarity Creates Confidence
Ask yourself: “Could every person on our team describe our ideal customer—and why they choose us?”
Chapter 3: weeks 10-13
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 10— Rule No. 22: Hire slow, fire fast.
WEEK 11— Rule No. 24: Own your mistakes.
WEEK 12— Rule No. 31: Delegate outcomes, not tasks.
WEEK 13— Rule No. 49: People over processes.
Ask yourself: “Are the people on our team making our business better—or just busier?“
Chapter 4: weeks 14-18
Featuring these 5 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 14— Rule No. 3: Differentiate or die.
WEEK 15— Rule No. 4: Play the long game.
WEEK 16— Rule No. 5: Make fewer, bolder moves.
WEEK 17— Rule No. 25: Ask better questions.
WEEK 18— Rule No. 26: Define it. Measure it. Achieve it.
Ask yourself: “Am I bold enough to make fewer, sharper moves that matter?“
Chapter 5: weeks 19-23
Featuring these 5 fundamental rules:
WEEK 19— Rule No. 7: Momentum beats motivation.
WEEK 20— Rule No. 8: Don’t mistake movement for progress.
WEEK 21— Rule No. 9: Focus beats multitasking.
WEEK 22— Rule No. 27: Do the hard things first.
WEEK 23— Rule No. 28: Learn by doing.
Ask Yourself: “What’s the one hard action I’m avoiding that would actually move things forward?”
Chapter 6: weeks 24-27
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 24 — Rule No. 14: Know when to let go.
WEEK 25— Rule No. 19: Stop doing what doesn’t work.
WEEK 26— Rule No. 42: Feedback is a gift.
WEEK 27— Rule No. 50: If you’re going to eat shit, don’t nibble.
Ask Yourself: “What decision am I avoiding right now—and what is it already costing me?”
Chapter 7: weeks 28-31
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 28— Rule No. 23: Simplicity scales.
WEEK 29— Rule No. 32: Don’t scale chaos.
WEEK 30— Rule No. 36: Build a business that runs without you.
WEEK 31— Rule No. 33: Processes protect your time.
Ask Yourself: “Where am I still relying on heroics instead of a system that should already be in place?”
Chapter 8: weeks 32-35
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 32— Rule No. 13: Know your numbers.
WEEK 33— Rule No. 20: Cash flow is king.
WEEK 34— Rule No. 38: Build once, sell forever.
WEEK 35— Rule No. 40: Sell the vision, not just the product.
Ask yourself: “Are we selling something people believe in—or just something we hope they’ll buy?“
Chapter 9: weeks 36-38
Featuring these 3 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 36— Rule No. 34: Great businesses outlive great products.
WEEK 37— Rule No. 35: Raise the bar, then raise it again.
WEEK 38— Rule No. 46: Don’t outgrow your values.
Ask yourself: “Are we building a culture that raises the standard—or one that quietly lowers it?“
Chapter 10: weeks 39-42
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 39— Rule No. 16: Time is your most precious asset.
WEEK 40— Rule No. 17: Speed Matters.
WEEK 41— Rule No. 29: Protect your downside.
WEEK 42— Rule No. 39: Your network is your net worth.
Ask yourself: “Am I building a leadership style that will still work—and still matter—ten years from now?“
Chapter 11: weeks 43-46
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 43— Rule No. 30: Profit is not a dirty word.
WEEK 44— Rule No. 47: The bottleneck is at the top.
WEEK 45— Rule No. 41: Reputation compounds.
WEEK 46— Rule No. 44: Own your edge.
Ask yourself: “Is my business coasting on past wins—while small, fixable problems quietly compound into future crises?“
Chapter 12: weeks 47-50
Featuring these 4 fundamental Rules:
WEEK 47— Rule No. 37: Build trust before selling.
WEEK 48— Rule No. 43: Run your race.
WEEK 49— Rule No. 45: Protect your mental bandwidth.
WEEK 50— Rule No. 48: Give more than you take.
Ask yourself: “What will I carry forward? What will I leave behind?“
The Rules you’ll find here are NOT new ideas—they are simply everyday reminders. Each one represents a timeless business fundamental that most of us already know but too often ignore. And when we ignore the fundamentals, the cost—personally and professionally—is steep.
These 12 Chapters of The Executives Institute are completely FREE. A few minutes each week, for 1 year—and a willingness to look honestly at how you lead, decide, and execute, is all that is required.
Small weekly reminders. Big long-term results.
More results...
Chapter 1: Weeks 1-5
Get grounded in what makes a business worth building—and worth leading.
Every business that endures is built on more than hustle—it’s built on clarity, discipline, and timeless fundamentals. In this opening chapter, we focus on what truly matters in the early stages: solving real problems, staying curious, questioning your assumptions, and building something that actually works. These Rules remind us that the foundation isn’t just where you start—it’s what you return to every time things get shaky. Whether you’re launching, rebuilding, or leading through change, this is where the work begins.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
All visitors can experience Rule No. 1—(the only publicly available rule) as a preview of the insight, impact and opportunity inside each of the 50 Rules.
Chapter 2: Weeks 6-9
Who you serve—and how clearly you serve them—determines your future.
Before strategy, before scale, before standing out—you need to lock in who you’re truly for. Clarity around your customer isn’t optional. It’s the bedrock of every smart decision that follows.
In Chapter 2, we cut through the noise and confront the reality: if your brand is fuzzy inside your walls, it’s invisible outside them. Your brand is not what you say—it’s what your best customers believe. That belief is earned when you understand them deeply, speak their language, and deliver on your promise with focus and discipline.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 3: Weeks 10-13
Your company becomes who you hire—and what you tolerate.
Every hire is a bet on your future. Get it right, and your business gains momentum. Get it wrong, and you pay for it—financially, culturally, and emotionally. Chapter 3 isn’t about filling seats. It’s about building a team that makes your business stronger simply by being part of it. No more excuses. No more passing the buck. Build a team you won’t regret.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 4: Weeks 14-18
A strategy isn’t a slide deck—it’s the choices you make when it counts.
Strategy isn’t theory. It’s not a vision statement, a retreat, or a set of slides collecting dust. Real strategy shows up in what you say no to. It’s the clarity to focus, the courage to commit, and the discipline to stay the course—even when it’s inconvenient. Chapter 4 is about getting brutally honest about direction. Strategy without execution is just wishful thinking.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 5: Weeks 19-23
Discipline over dreaming. Action over analysis.
Everyone has ideas. Few have the discipline to see them through. Execution is where businesses are built—or broken. It’s not about being busy; it’s about doing what matters, doing it well, and doing it now. Momentum beats motivation. Focus beats frenzy. And progress only comes when you stop planning and start moving—with intention. This chapter is a gut check for every leader who’s ever felt stuck in the swirl of strategy but hasn’t shipped the work.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 6: Weeks 24-27
Leadership means saying the thing no one else will—and acting on it.
Every leader hits a point where the next step forward isn’t a tactic—it’s a decision. A hard one. The kind that keeps you up at night, strains relationships, or forces you to admit something’s no longer working. This chapter is about those moments.
Whether it’s letting go of a longtime employee, cutting a failing initiative, or delivering feedback no one wants to hear—progress demands courage. Complexity is often a cover for fear. Avoidance masquerades as patience. And silence signals permission. Real leadership begins when you stop nibbling around the edges and face what’s difficult, directly. These aren’t Rules for convenience. They’re Rules for conviction.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 7: weeks 28-31
Systems replace strain. Discipline replaces burnout.
Scaling isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what works, more consistently. Without structure, growth just multiplies the chaos. Chapter 7 is about building the kind of systems, processes, and habits that free you up—not tie you down.
If your business depends on your constant presence, it’s not a business—it’s a job with overhead. Simplicity, clarity, and repeatability are what allow teams to move faster without breaking things. When done right, systems protect your time, preserve your standards, and make scaling sustainable. Don’t confuse speed with progress. Real growth is built on foundations strong enough to handle it.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 8: Weeks 32-35
Revenue doesn’t solve everything—but without it, nothing gets solved.
Sales isn’t just a department—it’s the engine that drives your entire business forward. Without revenue, even the best product, team, or strategy will stall. This chapter is about building a sales foundation that lasts—one rooted in real value, clear numbers, and a story worth buying into. You’ll get clear on what drives profitability, why cash flow is the true pulse of your business, and how to build once and sell again and again.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 9: Weeks 36-38
Culture isn’t what you say—it’s what you tolerate, reward, and repeat.
You don’t build a culture with slogans. You build it with standards—and the consistency to enforce them. Every compromise lowers the bar. Every act of courage raises it. Over time, those choices shape not just your environment, but your legacy. Great businesses outlive great products because they’re built on something deeper than a market win. This Chapter is about leading like it matters—because it does.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 10: Weeks 39-42
The leader grows or the business stalls. There is no neutral.
Businesses don’t burn out—leaders do. And when they do, the business follows. Chapter 10 is about building the kind of leadership that endures—not just for a season, but for the long haul. The kind that outlasts market swings, outgrows old habits, and stays sharp when others coast. To lead at that level, you have to treat your time like capital, move with urgency when it matters, and protect against downside at every turn.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 11: Weeks 43-46
It’s not the hard problems that kill a business. It’s the easy ones you ignored.
Every business faces challenges, but it’s rarely the complex issues that bring you down—it’s the simple, obvious problems left unchecked. This chapter is your blueprint to spot the common traps, protect what matters, and keep your business—and yourself—on the cutting edge. Because in business, survival favors the vigilant, not the comfortable.
If leadership doesn’t see clearly, act decisively, and hold themselves accountable, the entire business will suffer. If you haven’t challenged your assumptions, pressure-tested your profitability, or sharpened your edge lately, this chapter is more relevant than ever.
NOTE: Deep dives into specific Rules linked to each image above are limited to Executives Institute Members – Become a Member $100
Chapter 12: Weeks 47-50
Recommit to what matters. Let go of what doesn’t.
You’ve done the work. You’ve wrestled with the hard decisions, embraced discipline, faced the brutal facts, and built something real. But before you charge ahead—pause.
Chapter 12 isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters. It’s about cutting the noise, protecting your mind, and recommitting to the race you were built to run.
Build trust before you sell. Protect your bandwidth like it’s capital—because it is. Give more than you take. And remember: speed fades, but alignment compounds. Growth isn’t linear. But reflection makes it meaningful.
Ask yourself: What will I carry forward? What will I leave behind?
You’ve made it through all 12 Chapters—the full arc from Start to Scale—Congratulations!
You’ve wrestled with vision, execution, people, profit, and the truths no one likes to say out loud.
The Rules don’t promise ease. They promise clarity. And with clarity comes the responsibility to act. You now carry 50 timeless principles built not just for growth, but for resilience—for weathering seasons, setbacks, and reinvention.
Your business story is still being written. But you’re no longer writing blind. You have a map. You have Rules. And you have the awareness to know when to follow them, when to break them, and when to begin again.
So here’s the final truth: Every great leader, every enduring business, gets here—this edge, this reckoning. The ones who last aren’t the ones who avoid it. They’re the ones who face it, own it, and rise.
This isn’t the end. It’s your new beginning. Let’s keep building.
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