Build a Team that Thrives Without You

Are Team Challenges Holding You Back?

After nearly a decade in high-level operations and consulting, supporting businesses scaling to seven-figures and beyond, I’ve seen firsthand how common team challenges can be – and how frequently these issues lead to friction and significantly slower growth.

I’ve heard things like:

I love my VA, but she needs me for everything– I’m getting Slack messages from her multiple times per hour. I want her to know she can come to me with questions, but I’m getting so frustrated because it seems like she doesn’t even try to google things first.

I’m always the bottleneck– I know I should delegate more, but I don’t have the time to train my team how to do things the way I want. I want to give them more resources to learn but I don’t even know where to start.

I’m not planning on taking any time off for the holidays. I just don’t trust that things will keep running without me – or worse, I’ll come back to a dumpster fire of issues that I’ll have to clean up.

I feel like my team just isn’t stepping up to the plate– they’re just waiting for me to hand them things to do. How do I get them to take more initiative on things?

Maybe you’ve experienced something similar, or maybe you just know that things could be better, even if you can’t quite pinpoint how. Even when business owners love the people they have on their team, every single entrepreneur I’ve known has gone through challenges in trying to get their team to support them in the way that they want.

And although team issues don’t always “feel” urgent or like a problem that needs to be dealt with immediately, the truth is that team issues typically don’t resolve themselves. Situations– when left unhandled– can lead to less productivity, more frustration, less trust, more team turnover, and ultimately less growth and enjoyment for you and your business.

The solution? Empower your team.

What it Looks Like to Empower Your Team

Empowering your team means giving them the tools, confidence, and autonomy to make decisions and take initiative.

Picture a scenario where your team takes a project from start to finish, consulting you only for key insights…

☑️ You’re pleasantly surprised when you notice things done and updates made without you needing to ask.

☑️ They plan ahead and prompt you months in advance to start planning your next launch or big project.

☑️ A full day goes by without your team messaging you because they’re so clear on their role and how to handle situations without your constant involvement.

☑️ Your team comes to you with ideas – sharing solutions and strategies that could improve your processes, saving time and money.

This is what an empowered team looks like—they anticipate needs, solve problems independently, and contribute ideas that drive the business forward.

How You’ll Benefit from Empowering Your Team

Empowering your team isn’t just a feel-good idea; studies show empowered teams lead to tangible results.

When you put your trust in your team and provide them with autonomy and responsibility, everyone benefits—you (the business owner), your team members, and the business itself.

As the business owner, having an empowered team frees up more of your time for CEO-level tasks.

When you’re not spending so much time managing your team and fielding messages, you’re able to focus on high-impact areas like strategy, client relationships, and business development while your team handles day-to-day operations.

When your team fully owns their roles, they learn to rely on you less for small decisions and “quick questions” – reducing distractions throughout your day, allowing for deeper concentration and less context-switching.

Your days will start to feel more spacious with increased focus on the areas you excel in – leading to reduced stress and greater peace of mind, knowing everything is handled.

Your team also becomes more invested in the business.

Empowering your team gives them an increased sense of purpose and opportunity for growth in the business – creating happier, more positive, and more engaged team members.

Happy, engaged, empowered team members are more likely to perform better and put in more effort. When you feel a sense of purpose in your work, you care and take pride in what you do – the same is true for your team.

Empowered teams perform better.

When a team member doesn’t need to rely on you for every decision or direction, things move forward more smoothly. Less back and forth on Slack, fewer bottlenecks, quicker solutions.

Their quality of work generally improves, too – an empowered team member is more likely to pay closer attention to detail, to put in extra effort, to make fewer mistakes, and to provide suggestions for improvement.

Overall this often leads to better outcomes and more efficient operations. Mentor Group even reported that “a study found that companies with strong employee empowerment programs saw a 25% increase in revenue.”

4 Ways to Empower Your Team

Changes don’t happen overnight, and creating a more empowered team takes time. It sounds cliché but it truly is the small steps over time that lead to the most meaningful changes.

Here are 4 things you can do to help empower your team so that they learn to step up, be more proactive, and take more ownership of their role:

1. Communicate clearly and set expectations

Your team can’t read your mind, so if you want your team to do something a certain way, communicate that. Clarify exactly what is expected of them in their role (hint: put it in writing).

Many VAs and OBMs have multiple clients, each with different preferences and expectations. If you don’t clearly communicate what you want, chances are that you’re not going to get it.

Here’s the thing: your team wants to make you happy. Team members want to know they’re doing a good job and that you’re satisfied with their work. If you aren’t clear in your expectations, that can cause them to fumble around, feel lost about how to proceed in certain situations, and generally feel unsure about how to succeed in their role.

When you establish clear expectations and guidelines in the business and in their role, it’s easier for your team to know what you’re looking for and act accordingly.

2. Be an engaged leader

Building a team that thrives without you means that your team can run day to day operations without your involvement – but that doesn’t mean that you can dip out and be an absent boss. Your team still needs you to lead. When you show up as a strong leader, they will show up as a strong team, too.

Provide regular feedback and encouragement. Acknowledge them when they’re doing a great job. Thank them for things they do, especially when they go above and beyond. Better yet– tell them why you liked it.

Consistent communication matters. Engage with your team and show up for them – it’ll encourage them to do the same for you.

3. Create an environment conducive to growth

If you want your team to step up more, you have to make them feel safe in doing so.

That means that they feel that they can make decisions, experiment, share concerns, and offer feedback and ideas – without fear of being fired or harshly criticized if (when) they make a mistake or don’t make the right judgment call.

Create an environment of learning and growth. Normalize mistakes and let them fix things themselves. Support them when they’re struggling. Encourage them to identify gaps in processes and suggest solutions.

When you minimize pressure and stress, it creates more opportunity and space for your team to step up in bigger ways. This allows them to gain confidence–which encourages them to step up even more.

4. Provide support and invest in their growth

As the CEO, your leadership and support are invaluable – but you don’t have to do all of the training on your own. Show your team that they are valued by investing in their professional development, providing resources, courses, and mentorship to help them grow.

According to a Forbes article, “There is a very strong correlation between the emphasis a team has on development and high empowerment. Developing team members sends a message that employees are valued and the organization is willing to invest in them as people.”

Not only does investing in your team’s growth strengthen the relationship between you and your team member, it also expands the collective knowledge within the business as a whole.

If you’re looking for a way to invest in your team’s growth, and you’re ready for a team that anticipates, takes charge, and truly has your back — this is for you:

The Team Empowerment Program is designed to transform your VA or OBM into a proactive partner who can run the show.

This isn’t another online course for you to take (we both know you’re too busy for that).

This is a program designed for your team to complete, to learn to be more empowered, to take more initiative and to support you on a higher level.

You get to focus on the big picture while they step into their role with confidence.