Every time a major operational crisis occurs, the leadership team still reflexively loops me in to make the final decision. How do we break this dependence on my approval on our exit runway so a buyer sees a self-sufficient leadership team?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If you are still the ultimate firefighter in your business, your enterprise value will suffer. Buyers do not want to buy a company where the owner is the critical single point of failure. You must break this dependence systematically on your exit runway.

The solution lies in the EOS tool of Delegate and Elevate. Review your Accountability Chart with your leadership team and identify every seat where you are still holding onto decision-making authority. If you are still the fallback option for operational issues, you have not truly delegated that accountability.

When a crisis occurs, resist the urge to jump in and solve it. Instead, run the issue through the IDS process during your leadership team's Level 10 Meeting. Force the seat-holder to own the solution. Ask them what they think the right move is, and check if they have the GWC to carry it out.

Your job on this runway is to coach your leaders to trust their own capability. By systematically stepping back and letting your team resolve issues on their own, you prove to a buyer that the business can weather any storm without your daily presence.