LeadershipFramework I Use & Teach

5 Jobs of a CEO

What should a CEO actually spend their time on? This framework answers that question.

What it is

The 5 Jobs of a CEO is a framework for how chief executives should allocate their time. Every CEO I’ve worked with struggles with the same question: “What should I actually be doing?” This framework gives a clear answer. There are five things only the CEO can do, and everything else should be delegated.

💡Why it matters

CEOs are the ultimate generalists. They can do a bit of everything, which means they often end up doing too much of everything. They’re in sales calls when they should be recruiting. They’re writing copy when they should be setting strategy. The 5 Jobs framework creates clarity about where a CEO’s time creates the most leverage, so they can protect it ruthlessly.

🛠️How to use it

The five jobs vary slightly depending on the version, but the core is consistent. Vision: setting and communicating the direction. Culture: building and protecting how the team works together. Capital: ensuring the company has the resources it needs (fundraising, revenue). Hiring: recruiting the senior team. Decision-making: being the tiebreaker when the team can’t align. Everything else - operations, marketing, product details - should be owned by someone else. A CEO’s job is to work on the company, not in it.

💬My experience with it

I wish I’d learnt this framework earlier. In my first few years as CEO of Startmate, I was doing everything - operations, events, marketing, partnerships, finance. I was the answer to every question. It nearly broke me. When I started prioritising the five jobs, everything changed. The team stepped up, I had more energy, and the company grew faster because I was spending my time where it mattered most.

🚀Try this today

Open your calendar for last week. For each meeting or block of work, tag it with one of the five jobs: Vision, Culture, Capital, Hiring, or Decision-making. If it doesn’t fit any of them, it probably shouldn’t be on your calendar. Calculate the percentage of your time spent on CEO work versus everything else. Most CEOs are shocked by how low the number is.

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