What 3 Weeks of No Sleep Taught Me About Leadership

About Brilliance Brief

Hi friends! If you’re new here, welcome to your go-to resource for practical, no-nonsense advice. Each week, I share real-world insights from my time in the C-Suite and now as an entrepreneur—helping you lead confidently, grow your career, and live with purpose.

Today at a Glance

• Why leading yourself is the hardest (and most important) skill.

• 8 practical ways to stay focused, resilient, and accountable.

• A simple mindset shift to avoid burnout before it starts.

Looking for my vault of 80+ cheat sheets? It’s here. Enjoy!

[4-min read]

Lead Yourself First (Because No One Else Will)

A few weeks ago, I experienced two major milestones—on the exact same day.

My wife and I welcomed our baby boy into the world. And at the same time, I reached 500,000 followers on LinkedIn.

Oh, and just to keep things interesting, my bootstrapped startup finally started gaining real momentum that same week.

Incredible? Yes.
Exhausting? Also yes.

I was being pulled in every direction.

One moment, I was rocking my newborn at 3 AM, exhausted but determined to support my wife.

The next, I was jumping on a sales call, shifting from dad mode to CEO mode in seconds.

In between, I was onboarding new team members, delivering for clients, making time for my older kids, and engaging with half a million people on LinkedIn—proof that I was inspiring others, yet barely holding myself together.

Through it all, one idea kept hitting me hard:

Before you can lead others, you have to lead yourself first.

We often think of leadership as guiding teams, inspiring people, or making big decisions.

But leadership is just as much an internal skill as an external one. And if you don’t develop it, life will lead you instead.

So, how do you lead yourself? Especially when life feels like it’s spinning at full speed?

Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Know Yourself (The Good, The Bad, and The Blindsides)

You can’t lead yourself if you don’t see yourself clearly.

• What triggers you?

• Where are your blind spots?

• What are your superpowers?

If you don’t know, ask people you trust. Patterns will emerge. And self-awareness isn’t about being perfect. It’s about knowing where you need guardrails, accountability, or extra support.

2. Clarify Your Why

When life gets chaotic, your why keeps you grounded.

What are your core values? What truly matters? Because when you’re clear on these, decision-making gets easier. You know what’s worth your time, energy, and focus—and what isn’t.

3. Tune Into Your Emotions (Before They Hijack You)

Ignoring emotions doesn’t make them go away—it just lets them drive from the backseat.

Instead of reacting impulsively, pause. Ask: What am I feeling? Why?

The more you practice this, the more control you’ll have over your responses. And that makes you a stronger, steadier leader in every area of life.

4. Live With Integrity (Even When No One’s Watching)

Integrity isn’t about saying the right things—it’s about doing them consistently.

It’s easy to cut corners when no one’s looking. But true leadership starts with holding yourself to your own highest standards. Over time, this builds unshakable self-trust.

5. Strengthen Your Mindset (Because Setbacks Will Happen)

Resilience isn’t about avoiding struggles. It’s about how you handle them.

• Challenge negative self-talk.

• Look for possibilities instead of limitations.

• Celebrate small wins—because they fuel momentum.

Leadership isn’t about never falling down. It’s about always getting back up.

6. Own Your Accountability

Mistakes? You’ll make them. (I’ve made plenty.)

But leaders don’t hide from them. They own them, fix them, and learn from them. Accountability isn’t a weakness—it’s a superpower that earns trust and respect.

7. Protect Your Energy (Because Burnout Helps No One)

If you don’t protect your energy, everything suffers—your leadership, relationships, and decisions.

Set boundaries. Guard your rest. Know when to pause. Because sustainable success isn’t about grinding endlessly—it’s about leading with balance.

8. Keep Growing (Because Leadership Is a Lifelong Skill)

Great leaders never stop learning. They seek out fresh challenges, honest feedback, and new ways to improve.

The moment you stop growing, you stop leading.

Final Thoughts

That first week with my newborn son? I was exhausted. I was overwhelmed. But I also realized something: The same skills I’ve used to grow a business and lead for 25 years apply to fatherhood too.

Leadership isn’t just about titles, teams, or followers. It’s about showing up—for yourself first—so you can show up for everyone else.

Ask yourself: Am I truly leading myself—or just keeping up?

Because no matter where you’re headed, that’s the foundation that will get you there.

Until next time, stay brilliant,
Justin