IAM2713 – Why Quitting is Sometimes the Smartest Move

The Strategic Power of Quitting

Gresham Harkless opens this special episode by challenging the common narrative that “never giving up” is the only path to success. He argues that sometimes quitting is actually one of the smartest moves a leader can make, especially when it involves shifting time and energy into more productive areas. Rather than viewing it as a failure, Harkless reframes strategic quitting as a way to gain peace and grace, allowing founders to shut down what isn't working so they can go all-in on projects that are truly worthy of their effort.

Distinguishing Wisdom from Weakness

To navigate the decision to walk away, Harkless emphasizes asking if you are quitting for the right reasons. He notes that quitting because something is hard, tiring, or uncomfortable is often the wrong move, as true growth lives outside of the comfort zone. However, when the market provides clear feedback through testing and pivoting that there is no traction, choosing to move on becomes an act of wisdom rather than weakness. Ultimately, quitting the wrong things creates the necessary space to focus on the right ones, provided leaders can overcome the fear of what others might think.

Practical Wisdom for the CEO Journey

Drawing from over 1,600 interviews and a decade of experience, this segment provides “CEO nuggets” designed to strengthen the foundational principles of any business. Harkless reminds listeners that success is rarely a straight line, but rather a “plate of spaghetti,” requiring leaders to “run their own race” rather than follow someone else’s blueprint. Guided by the equation “Visibility plus Resources times Connections equals Success,” this episode offers practical wisdom that founders can apply immediately to ensure their business is moving toward long-term victory.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2712-why-you-dont-need-a-payroll-to-build-a-team/

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Transcription:

Gresham Harkless 00:00
Sometimes quitting is actually one of the smartest moves you can make. Here's a question that we ultimately don't want to ask. Not about whether or not I should quit. It's about am I quitting for the right reasons? If you're quitting because it's hard, you're tired because it's uncomfortable, those are actually the wrong reasons. Growth actually lives in discomfort. Everything you want is outside of that comfort zone. If you're quitting because the market is telling you to and it's saying know because you've tested it, pivoted, and there's no traction, that's coming because you've learned this isn't the right path. That's wisdom, not weakness. If you're building something meaningful, you're in the right place. This is the I Am CEO Podcast. I'm gresh, and for over a decade I've had the honor and the privilege of Learning directly from CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners to just like you on how to build. After recording more than 1600 episodes, one thing has become clear. Success isn't about following someone else's blueprint. And as I like to say on the show, if you run your own race, you can't lose. Even when you feel the journey should be a straight and linear path. What I've come to find out is success is a lot more like a plate of spaghetti. So in this special segment and episode, I'm starting to curate and share some CEO hacks and CEO nuggets that I've been dying to share. Drawn from thousands of of the episodes with phenomenal guests that have provided awesome value on the show, but also my 10 years of business experience as well too. These lessons are designed to strengthen the foundational principles that every business is built on and guided by a simple equation that we always go back to with our content. Visibility plus resources times connections equals success. This is practical wisdom you can apply almost immediately. So be sure to check out the show notes for more resources and next steps on how to level up. And of course, enjoy this special episode of the I Am CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 02:02

Here's something that nobody really, really wants to talk about. It's this idea of quitting. We're told to hustle hard, push through, and never give up. But I want to tell you something that nobody wants to say out loud. It's something I've been reading a lot about and understanding why we're so attached to this Never give up. Never throw in the towel. But in reality, some of the most success, successful people are those people who decide, I'm not going to go left, I'm going to go right and I'm going to lean into that. That's ultimately giving up, that's ultimately quitting. But it's putting that time and energy into the right spots. Sometimes quitting is actually one of the smartest moves you can make. Here's a question that we ultimately don't want to ask. Not about whether or not I should quit. It's about, am I quitting for the right reasons? If you're quitting because it's hard, you're tired because it's uncomfort, those are actually the wrong reasons. Growth actually lives in discomfort. Everything you want is outside of that comfort zone. If you're quitting because the market is telling you to, and it's saying no because you've tested it, pivoted, and there's no traction, that's coming because you've learned this isn't the right path. That's wisdom, not weakness. Take it from me. I myself have shut down projects that were not working. I'm constantly testing out ideas, constantly testing out assumptions that I have. Sometimes they work. Probably more often than not, they actually don't. So I could go all in on the ones that were worthy when I made that decision. But frankly, when I gave myself the peace and the grace to know that I can do that, it absolutely changed everything. So here's what I want you to ask yourself. Am I holding on because I'm building something real or because I'm afraid of what people might think? Be honest with that answer. Quitting the wrong things creates space for the right thing.