Jun 11, 2025
Jourden Skillman
Founder
If you’re leading a growing business, chances are you’re involved in a little bit of everything. You make decisions quickly, care deeply, and probably know your operations inside and out.
But sometimes, even when everyone’s doing their best, the work stalls. Not because anyone’s doing anything wrong, but because things naturally start flowing through one person. Usually, the person at the center. And that can quietly slow everything down.
This post is to help you notice the patterns that might be creating friction—and what could shift if you had the right support, structure, or space.
Why Bottlenecks Happen (and Why They’re Normal)
When you’re deeply involved in your business, it’s natural that a lot of things orbit around you. It’s often a sign of your care, your high standards, and the trust your team places in you. Being central to your business isn’t a problem—it’s how many great companies begin.
But as your business grows, so do the moving parts. The habits and structures that worked when the team was small or the workload was light may start to feel heavy. Approvals get delayed. Decisions pile up. And work starts to slow—not because you aren’t doing enough, but because there’s only so much of you to go around.
Bottlenecks often appear when:
You’re the only one with access or final say in certain areas
Processes rely on your presence or availability
Delegation feels riskier than handling it yourself
It’s unclear who owns what, so everything defaults back to you
This is a normal part of growing a business. In fact, Harvard Business Review describes this stage as a shift from “command to coordination”—where the founder’s direct involvement can unintentionally create friction rather than clarity [3].
Subtle Signs You Might Be the Bottleneck
It’s not always obvious when things are slowing down because of you. You might be answering questions, jumping into tasks, or keeping a lot of plates spinning. It might even feel like you’re holding things together—and you are. But that might also be part of the problem.
Here are some signs to watch for:
Team members often pause and wait before moving forward
You find yourself giving the same guidance or direction more than once
Progress feels slower, even though everyone is busy
You’re tagged in nearly every task or discussion
Decisions stall when you’re unavailable
You feel stretched thin, but things still feel stuck
These aren’t signs of failure—they’re invitations to step into a different kind of leadership. One that creates clarity, not dependency.
The Quiet Cost of Being Central to Everything
When everything runs through one person, things may still get done—but often with more effort, slower speed, and less confidence. And that carries real weight, both seen and unseen.
Your team might start hesitating before taking initiative. Not because they don’t care, but because they’re unsure if they’re allowed to move without you. That slows things down.
You may find yourself pulled into a constant stream of small tasks and quick approvals, making it harder to carve out space for deep work, planning, or even rest.
And perhaps most importantly, the business becomes overly reliant on you. Growth doesn’t feel like freedom—it feels like more pressure.
It’s not about controlling less—it’s about enabling more.
Redefining Your Role (Without Letting Go of What Matters)
You don’t have to disappear from your business to stop being the bottleneck. You just need to redesign your role.
From decider → to clarity-setter.
From doer → to system builder.
From being involved in everything → to supporting what matters most.
Some helpful shifts:
Document things that repeat. If you’re asked the same question twice, write it down somewhere visible.
Create reusable templates. From client onboarding to content planning, templates reduce decision fatigue.
Clarify ownership. When someone knows what they fully own, they don’t need to double-check.
Set expectations instead of micromanaging. A shared definition of “done” helps things move forward with confidence.
This kind of structure doesn’t restrict—it frees. It gives your team room to grow, and you more space to focus on the work that truly needs you.
Making Space for Others to Step In
Letting go of certain tasks or decisions doesn’t mean letting go of quality or care. In fact, it creates space for others to rise to the occasion. And often, that’s when the best things happen.
Some ideas:
Build light onboarding materials so others can ramp up more smoothly
Share how you think through decisions, not just what you decide
Use tools and automations to remind, nudge, or check in—without your manual effort
Encourage learning moments over perfection
When your business doesn’t depend on your presence at every turn, you gain something powerful: resilience. Your team becomes more capable. Your time opens up. And your work starts to feel lighter again.
Conclusion
If you’ve found yourself at the center of everything, you’re not doing anything wrong. You’ve built something that works. But that doesn’t mean you have to carry it all.
Recognizing bottlenecks isn’t about stepping away. It’s about stepping into a new phase—one where clarity, systems, and shared ownership carry your vision forward, without your constant presence.
With a few thoughtful shifts, your business can run with more ease, your team can act with more confidence, and you can lead with more spaciousness, not more stress.
Sources
Zapier – State of Business Automation (2023)
https://zapier.com/blog/state-of-business-automation/
Harvard Business Review – You’re the Boss — But Are You Holding Your Team Back? (2016)
https://hbr.org/2016/05/youre-the-boss-but-are-you-holding-your-team-back
Harvard Business Review – Are You the Bottleneck in Your Organization? (2009)
https://hbr.org/2009/12/are-you-the-bottleneck-in-your
First Round Review – Give Away Your Legos and Other Commandments for Scaling Startups
https://review.firstround.com/give-away-your-legos-and-other-commandments-for-scaling-startups
