Scaling is challenging in any industry. In a world where millions of companies are launched every year, there is always resistance that a growing brand faces. Overcoming the obstacles requires leaders who are creative and committed. It also takes a leader who is willing to release control at the right times.
I’ve watched a lot of leaders attempt to remain at the heart of their companies, even long after they’ve outgrown a single individual’s capabilities. They strive to remain their brand’s barometer, its guiding light, its North Star, for all things and every decision.
It doesn’t take a subject matter expert to realize this is bad for business. But here’s a question I have for you: How bad is the actual damage that comes from overly involved founders who can’t let go? Here are some of the hidden costs that come with a failure to release control.
You Can Bottleneck Your Business
A founder who can’t get out of the way becomes one of the things they strive to avoid the most: a bottleneck. While it’s easy to spot bottlenecks in your teams, employees, and processes, founders often miss how they themselves can become the biggest constraint on growth.
This frequently manifests in brand management. Founders become frustrated when their employees fail to understand or properly represent the brand—yet they’ve never properly trained them on it. The brand feels so obvious and natural to founders, so deeply internalized, that they struggle to understand why others don’t intuitively “get it.”
Kristen Brown, owner and Chief Creative Officer of the branding agency Hoot Design Company, sees this pattern regularly. “Founders are not, and should not be, the brand,” Brown emphasizes. “They are a component or extension of the brand—but not the brand itself.” She points out a critical consequence: “You can’t scale. You can’t exit. If you are the entire brand, how can you ever successfully pass on the baton?”
The solution, according to Brown and her team, lies in documenting and systematizing your brand ethos. This means getting your principles down on paper, creating clear frameworks that anyone in the company can understand and use, and if necessary, undertaking a strategic rebrand. Building a strong, independent brand identity—one that can thrive beyond the founder—is crucial for creating lasting business value.
Consider Apple. It had a clear brand framework in place before handing the torch from Steve Jobs to Tim Cook. This enabled the company to maintain its identity and continue to grow despite losing the powerful personality behind its inception.
If you’re a founder, ask yourself this question: Are you a bottleneck for your business? If so, where can you relinquish control to other, more qualified leaders?
You Can Be Blind to Personal Shortcomings
It’s easy for a founder to buy into themselves. After all, you started a successful business, and the ongoing growth of that company only reinforces your business prestige. This is all true. But that doesn’t mean you are infallible. Every founder has their shortcomings, and failing to recognize them—especially at the risk of hanging onto power in the wrong places for too long—can lead to unnecessary risks.
Matt King, CEO of Gobundance, a high-level networking community for successful entrepreneurs, has seen this challenge firsthand. King believes many founders struggle with the misconception that maintaining direct control over all aspects of their business ensures quality and consistency. “High achievers often build their success on personal excellence and hands-on involvement, which creates a blind spot when scaling requires letting go,” he explains.
According to King, the solution is a “trust but verify” approach: start by delegating small, low-risk tasks and gradually increase responsibility as team members prove themselves. This way, you can create accountability through clear KPIs and reporting structures without being overly involved in day-to-day operations.
If you’re an involved founder, give your situation a long, honest look. Analyze where you’re making key decisions and consider your shortcomings. Then, use the takeaways to inform where you need to let go of control in your company.
Avoiding Setbacks Due to Stubbornness and Lack of Perspective
Many founders squander growth potential through an unwillingness to get out of their own way. They allow stubbornness and a lack of perspective to prevent them from seeing where they need to release control.
The challenge I want to leave you with today is this. Honestly ask yourself, are you one of those leaders? Do you consider yourself your “brand barometer”?
The title may have stroked your ego or given you peace of mind in the startup phase of your company. However, if you’re helming an established or growing business, you don’t want your identity and involvement in every aspect of your company to hold you back. Give your day-to-day activities a thorough examination and consider where it might be time to bring more qualified professionals in to help you take that next step toward long-term growth.
Read the full article here
