We want to exit our business in the near future and are using EOS to build a self sustaining company, but the leadership team still looks to me, the owner, to solve every major issue during our weekly meetings. How do I step out of the problem solving loop without letting operations slip?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If you plan to exit your business in the next few years, your primary goal must be to prove to potential buyers that the company runs predictably without you. If every major issue still requires your personal intervention, you do not have a business, you have a very demanding job, and buyers will heavily discount your enterprise value.

To step out of the problem-solving loop, you must let your leadership team run the Level 10 Meeting™ without you leading it. The Integrator must run the meeting, and the team must own the Issues List. When an issue arises, resist the temptation to be the first to speak or to provide the ultimate solution.

Instead, practice staying silent. Let your leadership team debate the issue, run through the IDS® process, and assign the weekly To-Do list to themselves. If they turn to you for the answer, ask them what they recommend. Force them to do the heavy lifting of critical thinking.

By shifting your role from active problem solver to a supportive mentor during these meetings, you allow your team to build their decision-making muscles. When a buyer looks at your operations, they will see a self-sustaining management team that solves its own problems using EOS®. That is what drives maximum value and ensures a clean transition.