Today, I had a conversation with one of the newly appointed business team leads in one of our portfolios. He walked into my office and asked me, “What should I do?”
I looked at him and said, “If I tell you exactly what to do, then when you fail, you’ll turn around and say, ‘I did what you told me to do.’”
This moment was a powerful reminder of something we often forget in business leadership: when you hire smart people, you are not just paying for their hands, but their brains as well. If you don’t let them use their brains to think strategically, then you’ve set them up for failure before they even start.
The Dangers of Micromanagement
Far too often, leaders fall into the trap of controlling every move, every decision, and every outcome. This is where many of us go wrong. We don’t allow our teams to think, to take ownership, or to make decisions. Instead, we dictate everything.
And when things don’t go as planned, what happens? The blame game begins. When you control every decision, you take away the power of ownership from your team. If something goes wrong, no one feels responsible because it was never truly their decision to begin with. The outcome? A disengaged, reactive team that is more focused on avoiding blame than creating solutions.
Trust is Earned, Not Given
During our conversation, I told him, “Love is given, but trust is earned.”
By appointing him to his position, I had already given him the responsibility. That’s the “love” part. But trust? That’s on him to earn.
Trust in business isn’t just about giving people titles or responsibilities. It’s about giving them the space to take responsibility for their work, to initiate new ideas, and to own their results. Trust is earned through consistent delivery and accountability.
I reminded him that his job isn’t to wait for instructions. It’s to create solutions, especially when it comes to driving sales. I can’t be involved in every minute detail and still expect him to take responsibility.
If you want to win in business, you have to build a culture of ownership.
The Power of Ownership
So for those of us in leadership positions, let me ask you: Are you waiting to be told what to do, or are you taking initiative and ownership?
If you’re constantly waiting for someone to tell you the next step, then you’re not truly leading. True leadership is about inspiring others to step up, think critically, and take ownership of their roles. It’s about creating a culture where everyone feels responsible for the success of the business.
Leadership isn’t about holding all the power; it’s about empowering others to make decisions and take ownership. When your team feels trusted and responsible, they will deliver results in ways you never imagined.
The Bottom Line
I always say this: My results speak louder than my instructions. It’s not about what I tell my team to do. It’s about how they take those instructions, make them their own, and drive the company forward with their own initiative and creativity.
As business leaders, let’s remember that the best teams are the ones where everyone feels empowered to think, act, and own their success.
I am The Billionaire Mechanic, and I believe in building businesses where ownership and trust drive success.
Share this if you believe in creating a culture of ownership within your business. Let’s build better, stronger teams together.