Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When you start a business, you’re all in. This is true for many entrepreneurs — and I know it was for me. I committed myself to making every decision on every project. I dealt with every problem and handled all the nitty-gritty.
For a five-person team, that was manageable. But as the team grew, I realized that if I kept working the same way, I’d not only hold us back but also burn myself out. Business leaders hit this same point and face the same challenge of transitioning from being hands-on to building a team that can run the business with them.
That’s when I hit a tough but necessary turning point. I had to step back so others could step up. It was not as simple as passing off tasks — it’s learning to recognize when you’re needed and when you’re not. It’s a shift every growing leader has to make, and it can feel like a leap. But it’s the leap that makes real growth possible.
Transitioning from the doer to the leader
In those early days, every decision felt crucial and personal to me, and it probably was. As a founder, you’re doing everything, and it feels like you’re driving every success. For a small business, this hands-on approach creates amazing results and real momentum. But if you want to scale, you have to start trusting others to share the responsibility.
This shift took years for me to feel comfortable with. Moving from the operator role to a true leadership role required a significant change in my mindset. It wasn’t easy because my business felt like an extension of myself. Letting go, even a little bit, can feel like you’re losing control or risking quality. But over time, I came to see that real control — and real growth — only happened when I let the right people take the reins in their areas of expertise.
Related: How to Delegate Effectively Without Ruining Your Team
Building trust and competence in the C-Suite
When you build an executive team, you look beyond resumes. You need people who have the skills and the reliability to own their roles. The right team members don’t wait for instructions; they show up with ideas, treat the company’s success like their own, and bring a genuine commitment to making the vision happen — this isn’t something that happens overnight.
Once they’re on board, knowledge transfer starts immediately, and you must give them the space to make decisions confidently. Trust doesn’t mean micromanaging or stepping in at the first mistake. Give them the freedom to learn, grow, and occasionally slip up because you know they’re moving toward the same goal.
I now have seven executives reporting directly to me. Getting them up to speed took a lot of time, patience, and constant communication to ensure the knowledge was fully shared. It was not enough for them to know “what” to do — they needed to know “why” we do things a certain way.
This approach requires consistent mentorship and sometimes a fair amount of trial and error. Over the years, I’ve seen that the more you invest in your team’s understanding of the business, the more they can take initiative, make smart decisions and drive results that reflect the company’s values and objectives.
Overcoming challenges in delegation
Delegation forces you to shift your role entirely — it redefines your focus as a leader. Many entrepreneurs should understand that involving yourself in every decision and holding on to that level of control is a barrier to growth. Let others lead parts of the process so you can create a stronger and more adaptable business that functions with or without you.
Now that you have your executives, another challenge is building a solid team. This doesn’t come cheap, and the cost isn’t just in their salaries — it’s also the time and energy it takes to get them fully on board. Hiring top-tier talent may feel like a huge amount of money out the window, but trust me, this investment pays off tenfold, as it did for my business. Your A-team will take ownership of tasks, innovate solutions, and relieve you of the day-to-day grind.
Furthermore, if your team feels supported in their roles and has clear paths for progression, they’re more likely to invest in the company’s long-term success. It’s part of building a company culture where every member feels empowered to grow and develop others.
Scaling with purpose
Scaling a business is as much about people as it is about profits. As entrepreneurs, we often hold tight to our original ways of working, but real growth means evolving with time and the business. If you’re serious about scaling, take a moment and ask yourself, “Am I empowering my team to make decisions and drive results, or am I still holding all the reins?” All these processes may seem like extra steps, but they’re what every business leader has to do to get there.
Remember, delegation means creating a culture where leaders at all levels are committed, engaged and ready to take the business to the next level. When you delegate with intention, you’re scaling a business and building something that can stand the test of time.
