I am an owner planning to exit in eighteen months, and while I have stepped back from facilitating our Level 10 Meetings, I still catch myself dominating the IDS discussions because the team defaults to letting me solve the problems. How do I physically and mentally show up to the meeting without robbing them of their problem-solving muscle?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To prepare your business for a clean exit, you must prove to buyers that the company has a self-sustaining execution engine. If you are still the primary problem solver in your Level 10 Meeting™, your business is not ready for sale because your team is dependent on your brain.

You must transition your role from active driver to silent observer. When an issue is raised during IDS®, practice a strict rule of ten-second silence. Force yourself to wait before speaking. This silence creates a vacuum that your Integrator and department heads will be forced to fill.

If the team looks to you for the answer, deflect the question immediately. Ask, what would you do if I were not in the room? Or ask the Integrator to lead the solution path.

Your job is to coach their capability, not supply the answers. You can ask guiding questions to help them see a blind spot, but you must let them make the decision. If they make a mistake, let them feel the friction and solve it next week. This is how they build the confidence buyers want to see. Your eventual absence should not change the quality of their weekly execution.