Being an Expert = Bad at Running a Company

I've been thinking about something that's been bugging me for a while.

We've created this weird business culture where being really good at something eventually makes you really bad at letting other people be good at it.

Here's what I mean...

Last week, I was talking to Bob (real name withheld), who runs a professional services firm.

Smart dude.

Really knows his stuff.

But his company's stuck at $5M in revenue because every single deliverable crosses his desk.

"I just want to ensure quality," he told me.

No, you don't.

You want to ensure control.

It's a hard truth: Your expertise is making you worse at running your business.

Think about it.

When you're great at something, you see all the little flaws.

The small mistakes.

The "could be betters."

So you jump in.

You tweak.

You adjust.

You "help."

But here's what's actually happening: You're teaching your team that their work isn't good enough unless YOU touch it.

That their judgment doesn't matter.

That they need to wait for you.

And waiting is death for a high performance business.

I’ve learned this the hard way.

I used to review every single thing.

Every email.

Every decision.

Know what happened?

We got slower.

And the work didn't get better - it just got more like what I would do.

That's not scaling.

That's cloning.

And it doesn't work.

So I tried something different.

Set some simple boundaries:

• If it doesn't “crash the system”, just do it

• If you can explain your reasoning, you don't need permission

• If it's reversible (most things are), just do it

Was everything perfect?

Nope.

Did some things go out that I would have done differently?

Yup.

But something magical happened: Our team started THINKING instead of WAITING.

They started solving problems instead of projectile pooping them upwards.

They started moving fast and learning faster.

And the work?

It got better.

Not because I was controlling it, but because people actually cared about it.

They owned it…..they were proud of it.

Here's the thing about expertise: It's really good at telling you what's wrong.

But it's really bad at letting things be "good enough for now."

But business isn't about perfect.

It's about progress!

So here's my challenge to you: For the next week, don't fix anything.

Don't improve anything.

Don't offer any suggestions.

Just watch what happens.

Your team will either:

A) Figure it out (most likely)

B) Ask for help (perfectly fine)

C) Make a mistake (congratulations, they're learning)

All of these outcomes are better than the silent rot of a team that's afraid to move without permission.

Remember: Every time you jump in to add your expertise, you're also adding a delay. And in business, speed with a few flaws beats perfection with long delays every single time.

Want to really test yourself?

Take a week off.

Don't check email.

Don't take calls.

See what happens.

I bet your business will survive.

I bet your team will surprise you!

I bet you'll finally see the difference between being good at something and being good at letting other people be good at it.

Because here's the truth: Your job isn't to be the expert anymore. Your job is to create an environment where expertise can grow without you.

Stop being the ceiling.

Start being the floor.

Yallah Habibi,

Jon