The Bottleneck You Didn’t Mean to Build

Before we dive in, I want to speak directly to the founder listening right now.

You’ve built something that didn’t exist.

You’ve carried weight that few people understand.

You’ve made hard calls, taken real risks, and weathered storms that would’ve knocked others flat.

So I want you to hear this clearly—

What I’m about to say isn’t criticism. It’s care.

It’s perspective from someone who’s walked with a lot of founders and seen the patterns play out.

Hi, I’m James and you’re listening to the Leadership in 5 podcast—where leadership meets execution, one focused episode at a time.

This is a hard conversation, because you might be falling into the trap of the desperation mindset.

Because the desperation mindset doesn’t look desperate at all—it looks responsible.

It looks like oversight, stewardship, commitment.

But underneath, there’s often a fear that if you don’t stay involved in every decision… something will break.

I get that.

And I’ve seen it.

More importantly—I’ve helped leaders walk through it.

Now, let’s talk about how it shows up.

Most founders don’t mean to become the bottleneck.

They don’t wake up thinking,

“How can I slow down my team today?”

But it happens—quietly, accidentally, and with the best of intentions.

It happens when you’re the one who approves everything.

When no one makes a move without running it by you.

When your team is constantly checking in, waiting on decisions, unsure what they’re allowed to own.

It’s not a power move.

It’s a protection move.

It’s rooted in a form of a desperate mindset..

Because when everything feels fragile—

when you’ve risked your time, your finances, your future—

you cling to control.

You start believing that your hands on everything is what keeps it from falling apart.

But here’s what’s true:

You’re not protecting your business. You’re limiting it.

And it’s not just slowing your team down—

It’s exhausting you also.

You become the blocker.

The approval funnel.

The answer key.

The thing standing between great people and great execution.

And if you’re not careful, the team starts to believe

that the business doesn’t work without you.

Which is a terrible foundation for growth.

Here’s the shift:

You don’t need to approve everything.

You need to build systems that protect your standards without requiring your presence.

You need a team that can say:

“This is what we agreed to.”

“This is what’s expected.”

“This is how we make decisions.”

That’s what removes the bottleneck.

That’s what builds trust.

That’s what earns you space—without sacrificing excellence.

So ask yourself:

Where have I become the default decision-maker… and why?

What system, expectation, or structure is missing that keeps this running through me?

Desperation builds bottlenecks.

Authority builds ownership.

And that’s worth thinking about today.