What if the biggest obstacle to scaling your startup isn't your strategy, but your inability to let go? In this episode of the Speak In Flow podcast, host Melinda Lee sits down with Chris Sterbenc, fractional CRO with over 30 years of experience scaling companies from sub-$1 million to double-digit millions. Together, they unpack why even seasoned leaders struggle with accountability, and how “busyness” often masks a lack of clarity that quietly kills growth. If you're a first-time founder or a CEO who feels like you're still doing a little bit of everything, this episode is your roadmap to installing simple systems.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
Why Accountability Breaks Down
“Especially for startup companies and CEOs that are first-time founders, in that they're doing a little bit of everything, And so a lot of mistakes get made, and sometimes they're really avoidable.”
Chris explains why startup CEOs often fail to set clear expectations because they're doing everything themselves, and how that leads to blurred lines, finger-pointing, and missed numbers.
How to Delegate Without Micromanaging
“Carve off pieces of your world to specialists, but know where the lines begin and end.”
Discover how to give your team a clear mission, defined boundaries, and the freedom to execute without meddling or hovering.
One Simple Shift to Build Accountability as a Culture
“Take the time, make sure both people are exactly on the same page.”
Slow down. Document expectations. Use AI tools to record and clarify action items. Chris shares how taking just two extra minutes to confirm “who, what, and when” can prevent the most common breakdowns in execution.
What Becomes Possible When Communication Is a System
Less friction. More collaboration. A “frictionless environment” where people openly say, “I'm failing at this, help me fix it,” instead of hoping no one notices. That's the ceiling, and it's higher than most founders realize.
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A startup's growth is threatened by more than just accountability. Misalignment is right around the corner. What's the solution to both? Communication.
Understanding where the problem lies is the first step.
Learn how to identify misalignment in our latest blog post. "Identifying Misalignment. Is your team not working toward the same goal?"
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About the Guest:
Chris Sterbenc is a fractional CRO and sales leadership veteran. Since 1990, he has helped scale multiple high-growth startups from sub-$1 million to double-digit millions, with several of those companies going public or being acquired, including Infrascale (acquired by Route 66), FreedomVoice (acquired by GoDaddy), Axcient (acquired by eFolder), and more. Today, he coaches first-time founder CEOs through his fractional CRO practice, Scale Up Accelerator Group, where he helps install foundational sales and go-to-market processes so startups can scale without chaos.
Social Handles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissterbencsalesleadercro/
Fun Facts:
⛳ He's a lifelong sports enthusiast and still plays "a ton of golf," traveling the country by gravel road to discover new courses.
🍺 He's a huge foodie and loves exploring local microbrews and cuisine wherever he goes.
🏃♂️ He's had to "cool it on the more vigorous sports" as the mileage on his body adds up, but that hasn't slowed his competitive spirit.
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About Melinda:
Melinda Lee is a Presentation Skills Expert, Speaking Coach, and nationally renowned Motivational Speaker. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology, is an Insights Practitioner, and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development as well as Certified in Conflict Resolution. For over a decade, Melinda has researched and studied the state of “flow” and used it as a proven technique to help corporate leaders and business owners amplify their voices, access flow, and present their mission in a more powerful way to achieve results.
She has been the TEDx Berkeley Speaker Coach and has worked with hundreds of executives and teams from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and more. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California, and is breaking the ancestral lineage of silence.
Website: https://speakinflow.com/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/speakinflow
Instagram: https://instagram.com/speakinflow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowerall
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