The Hidden Cost of Being Indespensable

This is the second Wisdom in the Series of Working ON your Business, not IN it.

This week I am focussing on the concept of business owner indispensability or not delegating. It could be a wishing to delegate, or not knowing the most effective way, either way it translates to “I’m don’t trust the process”

How did you go with the experiment I challenged you with last week?

Today’s Wisdom

The Hidden Costs of Being Indispensable.

Holding On Too Tight Could Be Holding You Back .

If you want to skip the sermon and go straight to the practical application, scoot down to the bottom ‘This week’s challenge’

After you’ve given a job to one of your staff what’s going through your head?

I hope they do a good job. It would be quicker me doing it. I’m probably going to have to re-do it anyway.

But what you’re really saying is “No one can do it as well as I can”

It may be true, in fact it is true. No one can do it ‘like’ you.

‘Not as well’ however this is a common belief among many business owners.

I understand you want to protect the value you’ve built in your business; you’ve poured your heart and soul into it, and now so close to the finish line (your exit) you want to ensure it’s in control.

You might even enjoy being the one who does the quality check, big or small.

But here’s the thing: that belief, while comforting, is costing you more than you realise. Or maybe you do and are getting around to it.

The obvious one is the increased stress from the long hours. It’s the Frog in the Pot syndrome.

We always think about the stress on the owner, but your team bare that burden with you, and it filters down into everyone’s personal life.

This week, I’d like to challenge the concept that being indispensable is a good thing.

By the end, you’ll see why letting go isn’t about losing control, it’s about gaining freedom.

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The impact on you Your Business Value

The Price of Owner Dependency

Imagine this, a buyer is looking at two businesses. One runs like a well-oiled machine, with systems and processes that hum along whether the owner is there or not. The second one grinds to a halt the moment the owner steps away.

I don’t need to explain which one commands a higher price.

It’s feels counter-intuitive. Why is a business worth more with less business owner involvement?

Businesses that rely heavily on their owners are seen as risky investments. The 21st century buyers don’t want to inherit a job—they want to buy an enterprise.

Data shows that companies with strong systems and processes, where the owner isn’t the bottleneck, consistently command higher valuations.

So, if the plan is to retire with a lucrative exit payout one day, it’s time to start building a business that can thrive without you.

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When the Hub Seizes the wheel stops turning

The concept of the bottleneck stopping the steady flow is a simple one to visualise.

Let me introduce the concept of the Hub and Spoke. Specifically, you being the Hub of the business, the spokes being the functional parts of the business, and the outer wheel, being the speed of the business.

The more torque or pressure you apply to the hub through a gear system, the more speed it creates to the outer rim.

There are a few things that need to be watched to prevent the wheel from breaking.

Is the Hub isn’t designed to handle the spinning speed?

If the Hub is placed under too much pressure and spins too fast it causes heat and friction. It can be maintained for short bursts but if it’s sustained, then it usually seizes. This brings the whole wheel to skidding a halt, throwing the whole business into a wobbling wreck.

The Hub isn’t designed to hold onto the spokes.

If the tension between the Hub and Spokes are pulling too tightly, then the risk is weakest part of the connection breaks. One on it’s own is not a disaster, but if the wheel continues to spin the pressure on the remaining spokes increases and so it goes.

The Hub isn’t designed to match the wheel size.

Small Hubs connected to big wheels spin at a fast pace. To get the wheel turning is a strain unless there is a gearing system to reduce the pressure. Without the gears there’s a lot of resistance to get the wheel going.

So it’s not so much a bottle neck, it’s more like a risk that something will fail.

When every decision has to cross your desk, it not that it slows everything down, it’s that it places unnecessary pressure on the business.

You and your team struggle to find a way to easily move forward. Innovation and creativity are replaced with a steady grind.

It’s like trying ride in the Tour de France on a mono-cycle.

The sad truth is being the decision maker doesn’t just slow down your business, it sends a message to your team that you don’t trust them.

And trust is the foundation of any high-performing team.

Burnout and Missed Opportunities and The Personal Toll

When you choose to be indispensable, the weight of the business rests squarely on your shoulders. Every decision, every problem, every late-night email. It’s all on you and that kind of pressure isn’t sustainable.

I’ve seen business owners miss family dinners, vacations, and even their kids’ milestone events because they couldn’t step away. They were too busy putting out fires to focus on the bigger picture.

But here’s the irony. Having a delegation process improves the strategic business opportunities that could take your business to the next level, so you can do what brings you JOY.

Imagine what you could achieve if you weren’t bogged down by the day-to-day.

Imagine focusing on growth, innovation, and the things that truly matter.

The Feeling of Freedom when you can Let Go

Letting go doesn’t mean losing control. It means creating a business that works for you, not the other way around.

So, here’s this week’s challenge.

Decide on one thing that is your responsibility. It’s something that you do regularly, that you wouldn’t normally delegate.

It might so important that you do this that you take it with you even when you’re meant to be ‘not at work’. (Code for a holiday).

Pick the functional line where the task would sit. I’m guessing it’s something to do with finance or possible approving orders.

Then, make time to show that person what you do, how you do it, why you do it.

Get them to take notes because you’re going to ask them to do it next time. But you’re going to be there, helping them. They are not going to get it right the first time (and maybe it take time if it’s a complex task) and you shouldn’t be throwing them under the Bus.

You get a few things from this.

You find out how well you are at sharing and communicating information.

You get the basics of a Standard Operating Procedure. An S.O.P.

Call it the Somewhat Organised Playbook, or Stuff Other People need to know. Whatever it takes to start the process of Save Our Patience and Secure Our Profits.

Letting go of the Business as an attachment to your identity

Next week, we’ll explore how you can prepare yourself to let go and the attachment to the Job Title as an identity badge.

Until then, remember, the goal isn’t to make yourself unnecessary - it’s to make yourself strategic.