Business Owners: Are You Playing an Instrument While Trying To Conduct Your Business?

Several months ago, tears ran down my face as I watched my son conduct his first symphony. Until that moment, he typically sat in the French Horn section in the back row. But that night, he stood in the middle, leading the entire orchestra.

It got me thinking about an absurd scenario. My son loves playing the French Horn. In fact, he’s one of the most skilled French Horn players in the orchestra. So, what if he had decided to conduct the concert while still playing his horn? Imagine the chaos—losing his place in the music, missing cues, and failing to guide the orchestra effectively. The performance would have fallen apart.

?? Watch the video of my son conducting here: Watch on YouTube

While this sounds ridiculous, it’s exactly what many business owners try to do. They attempt to orchestrate their company’s success while still performing key tasks themselves. The result? They do neither well, limit their company’s potential, and ultimately decrease the value of their business.

Why Do Owners Try to Do It All?

Owners often fall into this trap for a few key reasons:

1. They don’t want to spend the money. Hiring talent, delegating responsibilities, and building systems all require investment. Many owners resist because they see it as an expense rather than a necessity for growth.
2. They fear giving up control. Letting go can feel risky. What if employees don’t meet expectations? What if things don’t get done exactly the way they want? This fear keeps owners stuck in the weeds.
3. They believe they’re the best at certain tasks. Owners often think, No one can do this as well as I can. While that may be true in some cases, it’s a dangerous mindset that stunts business scalability.

Ironically, these justifications—saving money, maintaining control, and relying on personal expertise—actually decrease business value. When an owner is deeply involved in daily operations, potential buyers see risk. They worry that without the owner, the business might struggle or fail. This makes the company harder to sell, less attractive to investors, and ultimately worth less. A truly valuable business is one that can thrive without the owner’s constant involvement.

What’s It Like to Work for This Kind of Business Owner?

If you’ve ever worked for a business where the owner is both the leader and the primary doer, you know how frustrating it can be. Employees in these environments often experience:

• Constant micromanagement. The owner struggles to trust the team, so they hover over every decision, slowing progress and stifling creativity.
• Lack of clear direction. Since the owner is juggling too many roles, priorities shift constantly, and employees are left guessing what’s most important.
• Bottlenecks everywhere. Critical decisions, approvals, and even minor tasks get delayed because everything funnels through the owner.
• Limited growth opportunities. Employees who are capable of stepping up aren’t given the chance because the owner insists on doing too much themselves.
• Low morale and high turnover. When employees feel undervalued, overmanaged, and unable to contribute meaningfully, they leave.

Kevin Hambrice, CEO of TerraSource Global, put it well on the Culture From the Heart podcast:

"If the heart’s not healthy, then our business plans really don’t matter. You have to empower employees to make decisions, because when they own the result, they bring energy and commitment that no top-down directive can match."

?? Listen to Kevin Hambrice’s full interview here: Watch on YouTube

When business owners fail to empower their teams, they not only limit their own success—they create an unsustainable work environment that makes employee retention and long-term growth nearly impossible.

The True Cost of an Owner Who Won’t Let Go

Beyond frustrated employees, an owner who refuses to step into the conductor role pays a much higher price:

1. Lower Business Valuation

• A business that can’t function without its owner is seen as a risk, which reduces its value to buyers.
• Buyers want businesses with strong leadership teams and systems, not ones dependent on a single person.

In The Business Owner’s Guide to Maximize Business Valuation, Darrell Amy warns:

"The challenge is that many business owners don’t even measure the value of their business until they get ready to sell. As a result, they leave millions of dollars of value on the table."

2. Slower Growth & Missed Opportunities

• Owners bogged down in day-to-day tasks don’t have time for strategic growth—like expansion, innovation, or partnerships.
• Instead of scaling, they stay stuck, limiting the business’s potential.

3. Bottlenecks That Create Inefficiency

• When every decision has to go through the owner, progress slows.
• Projects take longer, approvals drag, and employees spend more time waiting than working—all leading to lost productivity and revenue.

4. High Employee Turnover & Low Morale

• Talented employees want to grow and take ownership of their work. If the owner micromanages, employees feel undervalued.
• This leads to frustration, disengagement, and ultimately higher turnover, which is expensive in terms of recruiting, training, and lost institutional knowledge.

5. Increased Stress & Burnout (For Everyone)

• The owner becomes overworked, leading to poor decision-making, stress, and potential health issues.
• Employees feel the strain too—when their leader is frazzled and inconsistent, workplace culture suffers.

6. Lack of Resilience & Scalability

• If an owner can’t step away without things falling apart, the business is fragile.
• Without systems and leadership in place, the company won’t survive a crisis, a leadership transition, or rapid growth.

How to Stop Playing an Instrument and Start Conducting

The shift from doer to leader requires intentional effort. Here’s how business owners can step into their role as a true conductor:

1. Give up to go up. Leadership expert John Maxwell says, "You have to give up to go up." This means letting go of certain tasks to create space for higher-level leadership. Stop working in the business so you can work on it.
2. Develop leadership skills. Conductors don’t just wave a baton—they inspire, guide, and bring out the best in their orchestra. Business owners need to do the same by improving communication, delegation, and strategic thinking.
3. Build systems that replace owner dependence. If a business can’t run without its owner, it’s not a business—it’s a job. Creating strong systems and processes ensures the company operates smoothly, even in the owner's absence.

Conclusion: Commit to Being the Conductor

If you want a thriving, valuable business, you can’t be both a performer and a conductor. It’s time to commit to leadership, build a self-sustaining company, and create real value. When you do, your business won’t just run better—it will be worth more to potential buyers, employees, and the market.

So, are you ready to put down the instrument and pick up the baton?