When leadership starts to feel heavier
I have been hearing a similar frustration from business owners and leaders lately.
They are working hard. Their businesses may be performing well, and they have capable people around them. Yet they are reaching the end of their capacity sooner than they used to.
It would be easy to put this down to resilience or time management. I am not convinced that tells the full story.
For many business owners, the nature of their leadership role has changed.
Many leaders are now making decisions in a faster-moving and less predictable environment. They are managing increasing costs, changing technology, greater compliance obligations and higher expectations from clients and employees.
At the same time, their teams are looking to them for certainty and direction, even when they are still working through the answers themselves.
That creates a different kind of workload. It is not only the hours being worked. It is the number of decisions, the constant interruptions and the amount of information leaders are expected to hold in their heads.
Perhaps the better question is not, “How can I fit more into my day?”
Perhaps it is, “Has my role changed, but the way I work hasn’t?”
As a business grows, the owner’s role usually needs to change with it. But that transition rarely happens neatly.
Many leaders continue carrying responsibilities that made sense at an earlier stage of the business. They remain the first point of contact for operational questions, retain decisions others could make and step in whenever something becomes difficult.
Often, this happens because they are experienced, responsive and genuinely want to help. But being capable of carrying something does not necessarily mean you should continue carrying it.
If too many decisions still come back to one person, the issue may not be individual resilience. It may be a sign that the business needs greater clarity, stronger capability or better delegation across the team.
Creating capacity does not always require a major restructure. It may begin with clearer responsibilities, better communication and giving people the information and authority they need to make appropriate decisions.
The aim is not to become less involved. It is to make sure your involvement is adding value where it matters most.
If the way you have always worked is becoming harder to sustain, perhaps it is worth asking:
What am I still carrying that the business now needs to handle differently?
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Kirsty Bullen
Director Advisory Services
Thriving Under Pressure: The New Rules of People Performance
Our next Growth Hub session will explore what people performance looks like in today’s working environment and how business owners can build higher-performing teams, stronger cultures and greater resilience.
Growth Hub provides dedicated time to step away from the day-to-day, think strategically, learn alongside other local business owners and leave with practical ideas, tools and actions you can apply within your business.
Growth Hub
Tuesday 18 August, 9am–1pm
Campbell Tyson, Pukekohe