Lara GuevaraSupply Chain expert (Product and Service)

CEO vs Firefighter

2 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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Lara Guevara contrasts firefighter mode, where you're the first call on every problem, with CEO mode, where systems and delegation let your team handle issues. Log your recurring fires, systematize the costliest ones with checklists, assign an owner, and stop being the default.

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If every problem in your business ends up with call me. You're not running a company, you're running a fire station. Firefighter mode looks like this. You're the first call for every problem. Decisions happen in crisis, and your calendar is full of urgent and you're still exhausted but very busy. CEO mode looks like this. Your team handles problems before they reach you. Decisions get made from data and systems, and you actually have space for strategy. And here's the truth. The difference isn't team size, it's systems that works without you. So if you only remember one thing, remember this. Log your recurring fires. Systematize the most expensive one with a checklist or SOP and delegate an owner and stop being the default. In 2026, choose CEO mode.