Get Out Of The Way

Perhaps the hardest thing I’ve had to do as a CEO is learn to get out of the way. From conversations I’ve had, this is a particular challenge for founders, who remember clearly the days when they had to do everything.

A pattern I’ve noticed is that, when you’re leading a company, there are periods when there is a huge amount of action as set plans in motion, align people to your goals and arrange the elements that lead to success. But then, there’s often a lull – everyone’s off busily doing the right things, and you’re left to wait for the results.

The tension can be unbearable. Most CEOs are action-oriented who find “waiting” difficult, and the fear of losing control can result in unnecessary interference. When you tinker, ask for constant updates, or impose yourself on things you really should leave to others, you’re just creating friction, confusion and distraction, all of which make it less likely that you’ll succeed. Not only are you slowing progress, but you’re also undermining trust by signaling your lack of confidence in the team – even if that’s not your intention.

Trust is a key element of high performance. Allowing people to take ownership of their tasks creates greater accountability and means they’re much more likely to innovate and problem solve. Google and Netflix are great examples of companies that use clear objectives (in Google’s case, OKRs) combined with freedom and autonomy to achieve great things.

It’s not just about getting in the way of short-term performance, either. By playing the role of bottleneck, you’re limiting your company’s ability to scale. Micromanagement (which is really what we’re talking about here) reduces the speed of decision-making across the business and holds back the development of the emerging leaders around you. In fact, McKinsey’s research has shown that businesses where middle managers feel empowered are 20% more likely to achieve above-average growth.

I’m still working on getting out of the way. I go through periods when I’m pretty good at it (usually when there are lots of other things going on), and others when I find it a real struggle. There are a few things I’ve found helpful, though.

The first step is being very clear in expectations and objectives. If everyone knows what they need to deliver, by when and within what parameters, then success is much more likely. Aligning these with dashboards or scorecards allows you to keep track of progress without interference, and tools like these mean you can spot issues quickly.

Identifying and deliberately delegating things to emerging leaders is step two. This can start small, but if someone you trust is on top of an important deliverable, it’s easier to leave them to it.

Recognising where you can have the most impact is an important part of the equation too. When you’re too involved in the day-to-day detail, it’s hard to see the big picture and focus your attentions on things like strategic planning, culture development and strategic partnerships. But CEOs who spend more time on strategy than operations see 23% higher revenue growth than when the inverse is true (Harvard Business Review).

Finally, acknowledge the benefits of getting out of the way. Your team will feel trusted and valued, improving morale. Your business will be much more efficient, executing more quickly once they don’t have to wait for you. You’ll develop stronger succession, allowing you to focus more and more on other things, and driving the long-term success of your business.

And who knows? You might even be able to take a day off once in a while….