Even though my leadership team members have clear seats on our Accountability Chart, they still bring every major department decision to me for final approval. How do I stop this upward delegation and force my leadership team to truly own their seats and make their own decisions?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When your leadership team brings every decision to you, it means you have not actually given them true ownership of their seats, or they are afraid of making a mistake. This upward delegation turns you into a bottleneck and prevents the business from operating independently.

To break this habit, you must stop answering their questions. The next time a leader asks you what they should do about a departmental issue, ask them what they recommend. Force them to present a solution along with the problem. Ask them if their proposed solution aligns with the V/TO and if they have the budget and resources to execute it.

If their solution is sound, tell them to run with it. If they make a mistake, use it as a coaching moment rather than a reason to take back control. They must know that you trust them to make decisions within their domain.

Ensure your Accountability Chart clearly defines their decision making authority. If they GWC their seat, they must have the authority to manage their department. If you keep stepping in to make the final call, you are telling them that they do not actually own their seat. By stepping back and forcing them to solve their own issues during their weekly Level 10 Meetings, you build a self sustaining leadership team.