70. Are You in Survival Mode?
Wed Feb 04 2026
Founder Consult Week is Coming! February 16-20
Access my calendar here or copy and paste the link below. https://calendly.com/carolinazuleta/founder-consultation-week
Free one-hour private consultations with limited spots
Bring a real business challenge and walk away with clarity on what's actually in your way
Open to founders who have never worked with Carolina before
Booking link above
Episode 70: Are You in Survival Mode?
Episode Summary I love leadership assessments. MBTI, DISC, Hogan, Enneagram. I've taken them all. But my favorite by far is the Leadership Circle Profile. Unlike most assessments, it pulls feedback from your team, business partners and investors and benchmarks you against leaders globally.
In this episode, I use that framework to explore something most founders don't realize they're doing: leading from survival mode. I share my own reactive tendencies, including the one I'm actively working on right now, and break down the difference between drive that comes from vision and drive that comes from scarcity. I also announce Founder Consult Week happening February 16-20.
Key Takeaways:
Reactive Tendencies vs Creative Competencies:
Reactive tendencies are survival-based patterns like people pleasing, controlling, overworking and defensiveness
They aren't bad. They worked at earlier stages of life. But they become limitations as your business grows
Creative competencies are developed through self-awareness and emotional intelligence and enable you to lead sustainably
Why Drive Is the Trickiest Reactive Tendency:
Drive gets constantly rewarded with praise, productivity and results
The hidden costs include mental restlessness, constant urgency and difficulty being present
The critical distinction is whether your drive comes from vision or from scarcity and anxiety
Scarcity-driven drive leads to burnout and loss of love for the business
What Survival Leadership Feels Like:
Constant urgency and reacting instead of reflecting
Appearing calm on the outside while operating in survival mode internally
Avoiding difficult conversations, over-controlling and refusing to delegate
Problems don't disappear as you grow. They get bigger. They scale, but you scale too.
Memorable Quotes:
"Your business will expose every unhealed part of you. Entrepreneurship isn't just a career path. It's involuntary therapy."
Your Action Steps:
Notice which reactive tendencies show up most in your leadership
Ask yourself whether your drive is coming from vision or from scarcity
Book a free consultation during Founder Consult Week if you want help seeing your blind spots
Founder Consult Week:
Dates: February 16-20
Free one-hour private consultations with limited spots
Bring a real business challenge and walk away with clarity on what's actually in your way
Open to founders who have never worked with Carolina before
Booking link in the episode description
Resources Mentioned:
The Leadership Circle Profile
Founder Capacity Assessment: carozuleta.scoreapp.com
Connect with Carolina:
Website: carozuleta.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carolinazuletacoaching
Email: info@carolinazuleta.com
Book a consultation: carozuleta.com/consult
Founder Consult Week Booking Link: https://calendly.com/carolinazuleta/founder-consultation-week
Subscribe & Review:
If this episode was helpful, please drop a rating and give us a follow. Your support helps other entrepreneurs discover the show and enables us to continue creating this free content.
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Founder Consult Week is Coming! February 16-20 Access my calendar here or copy and paste the link below. https://calendly.com/carolinazuleta/founder-consultation-week Free one-hour private consultations with limited spots Bring a real business challenge and walk away with clarity on what's actually in your way Open to founders who have never worked with Carolina before Booking link above Episode 70: Are You in Survival Mode? Episode Summary I love leadership assessments. MBTI, DISC, Hogan, Enneagram. I've taken them all. But my favorite by far is the Leadership Circle Profile. Unlike most assessments, it pulls feedback from your team, business partners and investors and benchmarks you against leaders globally. In this episode, I use that framework to explore something most founders don't realize they're doing: leading from survival mode. I share my own reactive tendencies, including the one I'm actively working on right now, and break down the difference between drive that comes from vision and drive that comes from scarcity. I also announce Founder Consult Week happening February 16-20. Key Takeaways: Reactive Tendencies vs Creative Competencies: Reactive tendencies are survival-based patterns like people pleasing, controlling, overworking and defensiveness They aren't bad. They worked at earlier stages of life. But they become limitations as your business grows Creative competencies are developed through self-awareness and emotional intelligence and enable you to lead sustainably Why Drive Is the Trickiest Reactive Tendency: Drive gets constantly rewarded with praise, productivity and results The hidden costs include mental restlessness, constant urgency and difficulty being present The critical distinction is whether your drive comes from vision or from scarcity and anxiety Scarcity-driven drive leads to burnout and loss of love for the business What Survival Leadership Feels Like: Constant urgency and reacting instead of reflecting Appearing calm on the outside while operating in survival mode internally Avoiding difficult conversations, over-controlling and refusing to delegate Problems don't disappear as you grow. They get bigger. They scale, but you scale too. Memorable Quotes: "Your business will expose every unhealed part of you. Entrepreneurship isn't just a career path. It's involuntary therapy." Your Action Steps: Notice which reactive tendencies show up most in your leadership Ask yourself whether your drive is coming from vision or from scarcity Book a free consultation during Founder Consult Week if you want help seeing your blind spots Founder Consult Week: Dates: February 16-20 Free one-hour private consultations with limited spots Bring a real business challenge and walk away with clarity on what's actually in your way Open to founders who have never worked with Carolina before Booking link in the episode description Resources Mentioned: The Leadership Circle Profile Founder Capacity Assessment: carozuleta.scoreapp.com Connect with Carolina: Website: carozuleta.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carolinazuletacoaching Email: info@carolinazuleta.com Book a consultation: carozuleta.com/consult Founder Consult Week Booking Link: https://calendly.com/carolinazuleta/founder-consultation-week Subscribe & Review: If this episode was helpful, please drop a rating and give us a follow. Your support helps other entrepreneurs discover the show and enables us to continue creating this free content.