How to stop being the bottleneck on decisions

You hired talented people, asked them to lead, and yet they're still coming to you for final approval on *everything*. It feels like you're micromanaging, even though you desperately want to be hands-off. You don't want to reject their need for support, but this constant stream of decisions, big and small, is keeping you buried in the day-to-day. This isn't just annoying; it's a critical bottleneck that prevents you from scaling and keeps your team from truly stepping into ownership. When you're the default decision-maker, you're doing two jobs at once, and your team isn't building the muscle they need. In this episode of Real Talk: Leading Small Teams, we dive into how to break free from the decision-making weeds. In this episode, you'll learn: Why being involved in every decision creates a "death by a thousand paper cuts" and limits your ability to scale.How  constantly making the final call prevents your team from taking full accountabilityThe difference in how high-performing versus struggling teams approach decision-making, and what does it mean for youHow can you build your team's decision-making capacity instead of just offloading tasks?How articulating your own decision-making process empowers your team to make aligned choicesThis isn't just about freeing up your time; it's about unlocking your team's full potential and enabling true growth. Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered. Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work. I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER. Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com Contact: liagarvin.com/contact Email: hello@liagarvin.com Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin -- © 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple