48: Why great CTOs slow down to think, and see what others can’t

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"Most CTOs spend all their time chasing rabbits—and miss the real future right in front of them."



In this sharp, no-fluff episode, Adam cuts through the chaos CTOs face daily and reveals the underrated superpower every tech leader must develop: strategic foresight. Forget firefighting and sprint planning—this is about learning to think deeply and see the horizon others can’t. Adam shares why boredom (yes, boredom) might be your secret weapon for unlocking creativity and how slowing down can give you the attitude needed to lead confidently instead of just managing crises. You’ll get a clear three-step playbook to zoom out beyond the immediate, create deliberate mental space, and build a network that challenges your perspective. If you’re ready to escape the cycle of reactive firefighting and step into real leadership, this episode will push you to rethink what it means to lead technology—and how to spot the future before it’s obvious to anyone else.

You’ll Learn:

• How strategic foresight shifts CTO leadership from reactive to visionary
• Why boredom can unlock breakthrough creativity and clear thinking
• How to create mental space for insight in a nonstop, distraction-heavy world
• What the loneliness of leadership really means—and how to handle it
• How to spot hidden risks and opportunities before they become urgent problems
• Why zooming out beyond the quarter accelerates better decision-making
• How to build a support network that challenges your perspective and expands your thinking
• What deliberate stillness in your schedule does for creative problem-solving
• How small early mitigations prepare you for future challenges without wasting resources
• Why acting with conviction on unseen signals separates leaders from managers

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[00:20] Why CTOs need to prioritize strategic thinking

[01:30] The loneliness of seeing the future before others

[03:00] Overview of the CTO playbook coaching programs

[04:10] Analogy of terriers chasing rabbits to explain reactive behavior

[05:10] Why CTOs get stuck solving immediate problems instead of leading

[06:00] The value of seeing what others don’t yet see

[07:00] Example of cascading impacts from a tech stack decision

[08:00] How thinking several steps ahead expands perspective

[09:00] Why being ahead of the curve can feel isolating

[10:00] Personal story about early career risks and mitigations

[11:00] Importance of finding a thinking partner or mentor

[12:00] How natural abstraction helps in leadership altitude

[13:00] The power of stillness and boredom for creative insight

[14:00] Example of deliberate boredom sparking creativity in kids

[15:00] How adults avoid boredom and lose creative moments

[16:00] Using walks and notebooks to capture ideas without distractions

[17:00] Integrating stillness into calendars as a priority

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.