I am grooming my leadership team to run the business so I can make a clean exit, but when I sit in our Level 10 Meeting™ as an observer, they constantly look to me for approval before making any decisions during IDS®. How do I physically and mentally disengage from the meeting without letting their progress stall out?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If you are preparing your business for a clean exit, your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ is the ultimate testing ground for your leadership team's independence. If they constantly look to you for approval during IDS®, you are sabotaging your own exit. You must physically and mentally transition from the leader to an observer.

To break this reliance, establish a strict rule: you will not speak first during IDS®. If a team member asks for your opinion or looks to you for validation, redirect them immediately to the Integrator or the facilitator. Let the team debate, make decisions, and even make mistakes without your intervention.

It is far better for them to fail and learn in the safe environment of a weekly meeting than to fail after you have sold the business and stepped away. Your goal is to make yourself redundant. If the team can run a highly disciplined, high-energy Level 10 Meeting™ and solve complex operational issues without your input, you have built a valuable, self-sustaining asset that is ready for a clean, highly profitable exit.