As we prepare our business for a clean exit, we have cascaded Level 10 Meetings down to our department heads, but they are hesitant to make final decisions during IDS, constantly asking for our approval first. How do we build their decision-making confidence?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your department heads are constantly looking up to the leadership team for permission during their weekly Level 10 Meetings™, you have not yet achieved true operational delegation. To build a highly valuable business that can run without you, your managers must be empowered to make decisions and own their outcomes.

To break this dependency, you must use your Accountability Chart™ to define absolute ownership. Ensure every manager clearly understands the roles and responsibilities of their seat. If a decision falls within their seat's scope, they have the authority to decide.

When a manager comes to you asking for approval on a departmental issue, do not give them the answer. Instead, ask them: What is your recommendation, and how does it align with our V/TO® and core values? Force them to present the solve. Once they propose a viable solution, tell them to execute it and report back on the results during their weekly Scorecard review.

Furthermore, you must create a safe environment for making mistakes. If a manager makes a decision during their IDS® session that turns out to be wrong, do not punish or micromanage them. Treat it as a learning opportunity. Use your leadership team meeting to review what happened, identify the lesson, and adjust the process.

When your managers see that you respect their seat authority and support their development, their confidence will rise. They will stop looking for permission and start running high-impact, independent Level 10 Meetings™ that drive execution and protect your exit timeline.