Stop Wasting Your Time Solving Everyone’s Problems
If you’re still telling each of your management team members what to do, solving their problems for them, and making decisions that “only you” can make, you’re wasting precious time and even holding your company back. Your job isn’t to be Big Daddy (or Mommy) Superhero. Your job is to set the course, hold people accountable, and step back so your so-called leaders actually lead.
When your team is aligned and functioning properly, you spend less time in the weeds and working IN your business, and more time on strategy and working ON your business. As an added bonus, you get some of your life back to do the stuff you want to do for yourself. That has to be your goal.
So why haven’t you done this already? Because this requires being able to prioritize effectively as a leadership team. And that is oh so hard to do.
Why Prioritizing Is So Hard in Mid-sized Companies
Everything Feels Urgent: In smaller companies the pressure to handle every task ASAP can cloud judgment, making it hard to differentiate between what's truly urgent AND important, and what seems urgent but can actually wait.
Wearing Too Many Hats: With managers often juggling multiple roles, multiple operational issues constantly demand attention which challenges a leader’s ability to focus on strategic tasks.
Limited Resources: Smaller companies have tighter budgets and fewer resources who are usually over-allocated already. This makes it very hard to pull people aside for a few hours to develop a clear priority system.
Decision Paralysis: When so many decisions appear critical due to everything seeming high stakes, it's easy to get paralyzed, postpone what’s important and necessary, and stay stuck tackling what’s urgent even if it’s frivolous.
Can you relate to this? That’s why most small businesses spin their wheels instead of moving forward.
“Having lost sight of our objectives, we redoubled our efforts.”
Animator and cartoonist Walt Kelly (Source: Pogo)
That quote would be funny if it weren’t so on point, right? But you can break the mold. You can be like many of your predecessors or former peers who have figured it out and are now leaders in your industry. Here are some simple steps to start trying out.
How to Master Prioritizing
Embrace the Power of 'No': Not every opportunity or task deserves your yes. Learn to say no to distractions that don't align with your core goals.
Adopt a Framework: Tools like the Eisenhower Box (urgent vs. important matrix) or the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) can help clarify what tasks will have the most impact. Pick one, any one, and stick to it.
Regular Strategy Sessions: You don’t need a two day offsite. Hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings focused solely on aligning team efforts with business priorities. Use these sessions to reassess goals, progress, and roadblocks.
Leverage Technology: From project management tools like Trello or Asana to time tracking apps, shared technology can help you stay focused on priorities and measure progress. Don’t forget AI.
Delegate Wisely: Empower your team by delegating tasks that align with their strengths and interests, and then hold them accountable. This not only boosts morale but ensures tasks are completed more efficiently.
Cultivate a Flexible Mindset: In the dynamic business landscape, priorities can shift. Stay adaptable, allowing your strategy to evolve as new information and opportunities arise.
Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate progress towards your priorities. This keeps morale high and motivates the team to maintain focus. Don’t forget to do this.
What makes the leaders in your industry different? That. They are able to prioritize effectively as a team. At some point they were struggling with the same issues as you. Which means you can be a market leader like them. Or are you willing to admit that they are better than you?
Besides “winning”, there are immediate and visible dividends when you start prioritizing with your team.
What You Gain Prioritizing as a Truly Aligned Team
For the Company:
Faster execution on priorities: no bottlenecks, no waiting for you to direct traffic. One of our clients told us, “We were able to organize our warehouse and yard in just 3 months, after complaining about it for 3 years!”
Improved resilience when the unexpected happens: the team adjusts course without chaos and quite often without your involvement.
For Your Managers:
More autonomy and ownership, which translates into higher motivation, passion and energy (and don’t forget retention). Also fewer turf-battles, silo thinking and more focus on collaborating and winning together.
Clearer accountability. Everyone knows what matters most and how their success is measured.
For You, the CEO/Owner:
The main benefit to you is less stress and decision fatigue. You’re no longer the must-go-to person (and actually the bottleneck) for every problem and decision.
It also means you have more time for strategy, clients, growth opportunities, and most importantly: yourself – more personal freedom for family, hobbies, health, or even a long-overdue vacation. What a concept, right!
Bottom Line
If you want to build a company that grows without grinding you down, stop believing that you have to run every play yourself. That’s the first step. That’s actually unhealthy. Demand alignment. Hold your leaders accountable. Prioritize what matters and cut out the rest from your to-do list.
That’s how you get out of the weeds, away from being a over-rated coordinator, and back to leading.
What have you go to lose? One of our clients increased their profit seven fold on the same revenue base after just one year of implementing such a system. Another streamlined their leadership team and doubled efficiency and revenues.
Go for it!