Letting go is one of the hardest things a founder can do. But often, the biggest thing standing in the way of your business’s next stage of growth… is you. Knowing when to step back, and how to do it with confidence, is a critical part of becoming the leader your business actually needs.
And yep, I say that with love. And lived experience.
The signs you’re doing too much
Here’s the thing: burnout doesn’t usually show up waving a flag. It creeps in slowly.
You’re still delivering. Still making things happen. But behind the scenes? You’re spinning plates no one even knows you’re holding. Decision-making slows down because everything has to go through you. Team members hesitate or second-guess and things start to feel heavy, messy, or stuck.
You might be seeing:
- Chronic overwhelm (your brain never clocks off)
- Control bottlenecks (you’re the only one who can “do it right”)
- Stalled growth (you’re at capacity and so is your team)
That’s your sign.
And it’s not about working harder or “pushing through.” It’s about recognising that your business has outgrown the way it’s always worked, and it might be time for you to evolve, too.
Leading strategically, not reactively
This is the pivot. And it’s not about disappearing into the background.
Leading strategically means stepping out of the weeds and into your actual role as a business leader. It means shifting from being the person who does the work to the one who holds the vision and makes sure the right people are moving it forward.
Reacting to what’s urgent keeps you busy. But real leadership focuses on what’s important. You build the roadmap and you shape the culture. You focus on momentum, not just maintenance.
For most business owners, this shift is the only way to escape the loop of burnout and bottlenecks. Because being a business leader isn’t about holding everything, it’s about knowing what to hold, and what to hand over.
How to know when it’s time to delegate
Spoiler alert: it’s probably sooner than you think.
Here’s what I look for in client businesses:
- You’re doing tasks someone else could do faster or better
- You’re constantly delaying big-picture projects
- Your team is waiting on you to move forward
- You’re the default safety net, even for things you don’t want to own
If that’s you, start with one role. One responsibility. One handover. It doesn’t have to be a massive restructure. Just a deliberate shift away from being the linchpin and toward building a team that can function without you in the centre of every decision.
Building trust in your team (even if it’s scary)
Trust doesn’t happen overnight. And if you’ve been burned before, by a bad hire, a flaky freelancer, or a moment when things dropped, it can be really hard to let go again.
But micromanaging doesn’t protect your business. It stifles it.
Start by building a team culture that values ownership. Don’t just hand over tasks, hand over outcomes. Let people problem-solve. Let them lead.
And when something inevitably goes sideways? Debrief, learn, reset. Your job isn’t to stop things from breaking. It’s to create a business strong enough to recover and grow from it.
(Side note: building a leadership team isn’t just about filling seats. It’s about finding people who align with your values, complement your strengths, and want to grow the business with you. That’s where the real magic happens.)
My own shift: from doer to visionary
For a long time, I was Oracle Tree. Every client. Every project. Every decision.
I loved it… until I didn’t.
I hit that point where I was doing more managing than mentoring. More reacting than creating. I was tired, and honestly, starting to resent the very business I’d built to give me freedom.
So I made a choice.
I stopped doing the things that drained me. I started hiring people smarter than me. Instead, I stepped into the visionary seat, and made space to do what I do best: see the big picture, connect the dots, and help our clients (and our team) grow with clarity and confidence.
It wasn’t easy. But it was necessary.
And it’s what allows me now to take a step back without everything grinding to a halt. That’s not luck. That’s design.
If you’re feeling like the glue holding your business together… it might be time to let someone else hold the brush, even for a minute.
Because when you step back (on purpose), the business finally gets the space to step up.
And honestly? That’s the whole point.
~ Marama
