If They Always Need Your Approval, You Don’t Have a Leadership Team You Have a Relay Team
A property management company owner that I coach runs a sizable company with a full bench of executive managers, solid systems, and strong values. He’s built a team that cares. And still, his team constantly defers to him for decisions. Even when the policies are clear. Even when the issue isn’t complex. Even when they technically have the authority to act. They want reassurance. They want confirmation. They want his blessing. Here’s how he put it:
“I’ve told them, you don’t need me to make this decision. But they keep coming back anyway.”
Sound familiar? Here’s the problem. If you always have to touch the ball before a decision moves forward, you’re not the leader of a company, you’re the baton in a never-ending relay race. That’s not sustainable.
So we dug into why this keeps happening. And like most of these issues, it comes down to a combination of mindset and structure.
What’s Really Going On?
- Your team doesn’t want to fail. They trust you. They want to make the “right” decision. But without the confidence to own the outcome, they lean on you to protect themselves.
- You’ve trained them (accidentally) to wait for your input. Even if you say they have permission, your past reactions might tell a different story. Approval-seeking is a habit, and it’s one you helped create.
- You haven’t given them a framework to stand on. Most people don’t just want autonomy. They want clarity too. If you haven’t defined what success looks like, they’ll keep asking until they feel safe.
What We Did About It We introduced a few structural shifts to break the cycle:
• Defined decision rights by category and level. Everyone now knows which decisions they can make solo, which need peer approval, and which require a manager to agree before acting.
• Reinforced the “core values + policy” lens. Every decision gets filtered through two questions: ◦ Does this align with our core values? ◦ What does our policy say?
• Changed the fallback. The new default isn’t “ask (the company owner).” It’s refer to the policy manual and then “ask each other.” if necessary. They’re encouraged to collaborate, disagree, and resolve without defaulting up.
The result? A team that’s beginning to lead instead of waiting to be led. And the company owner? He’s finally starting to experience what it means to not be the final call. That’s not just delegation it’s liberation.
If you’re still the default answer to every question, it’s time to reset the rules. Don’t just tell your team to act. Show them how to decide. Then get out of the way.
