When Being Indispensable Becomes a Liability
When Being Indispensable Becomes the Bottleneck
Early in my career, my value was simple: I could fix things.
If something broke, I stepped in. If a partner escalated, I solved it. Speed and responsiveness built my credibility.
That’s often what earns a promotion.
What no one tells you is that operator-led growth eventually becomes the bottleneck.
As my scope expanded, I noticed something uncomfortable. Every key decision still routed through me. Every escalation waited for my input. Performance held—but only because I was absorbing the friction.
It felt productive.
It was fragile.
In growing organizations, we often confuse responsiveness with effectiveness. We reward the person who answers fastest and solves problems quickest. But if growth depends on heroic effort, you don’t have a scalable system. You have stamina.
Stamina doesn’t compound.
The shift from fixer to architect isn’t about doing less. It’s about redesigning the system so outcomes don’t rely on your personal intervention.
That means aligning functions instead of constantly smoothing conflict. Defining metrics that shape behavior instead of celebrating activity. Prioritizing markets instead of trying to serve everyone equally.
It also means letting go of the emotional reward of being indispensable.
Leadership at scale isn’t about being the smartest person in the room.
It’s about building a room that works without you.
