Why the Thing You’re Best At Might Be Costing Your Company the Most
When you start a company, or join one in its early days, you’re often the best at something: sales, product, marketing, or engineering. You bring a superpower to the table. It’s how you earned the CEO seat in the first place.
But here’s the trap: you keep doing that job even after you become the CEO.
In my book, Great CEOs Are Lazy, I say that this is when you enter “player” mode. It feels good. You’re competent. You get results. You get to scratch that itch of being in the action. However, the longer you cling to that functional role, the more it costs your company—and your leadership.
You’re Not Just Busy. You’re Stuck.
This problem isn’t about hard work. CEOs are supposed to be busy. But being “caught in a job” is different. It’s when the work you’re doing,no matter how valuable, keeps you from doing the work only you can do.
I’ve been there. In one company I led, our VP of Sales left. I stepped in, after all, I had a solid sales background. Initially, it made sense. I knew the new clients could keep deals moving and save the company money. Sales numbers were strong, and I felt in control.
But here’s the truth: the company as a whole was underperforming. I wasn’t coaching my executive team. I wasn’t monitoring overall performance. I was on the road instead of in strategic meetings. I was focused on this month’s orders while no one, not even me, was considering next year.
Eventually, my CFO pulled me aside and gave it to me straight. We found someone inside the company to step up, and I went back to being CEO. Once I did, the whole business started performing better. Not just sales. Everything.
The Three Reasons It’s a Trap
- You’re Rewarding Your Ego, Not Leading
You excel at your former job. It feels comfortable. However, doing it feeds your ego rather than your effectiveness. Every hour you spend caught in the details is one less hour focused on vision, alignment, people, capital, and future growth. The marginal economics are poor: you’re the most expensive person in the company doing work someone else should do.
- You’re Signaling a Lack of Trust
Even if you don’t say it out loud, your actions speak for you: “I don’t trust anyone else to do this.” That’s a confidence killer. Your people see it. They may respect your competence, but they won’t feel empowered to grow. Promotions stall. Accountability weakens. The culture shifts from “We got this” to “They’ll take care of it.”
- You’re Sacrificing the Future for the Present
Leading the sales team or managing product launches might yield short-term benefits. However, no one else is focusing on partnerships, acquisitions, or long-term innovation during that time. If the CEO is preoccupied with the present month, no one is considering the year ahead.
How to Spot It—and Get Out
Ask yourself: How am I spending my time? Am I holding a job I should be delegating? If so, is it truly temporary, or just comfortable?
There’s a metaphor I like: Think of it like going to a bad party. It’s okay to show up for a little while. You might even need to. But know where the door is. And don’t overstay. Forty-five minutes, then get out.
It’s the same with wearing that functional hat. Show up, stabilize the situation, then start looking for the exit. Build the bench. Empower someone else. Leave before it starts dragging you down.
Scaling Requires Letting Go
This change is one of the most challenging transitions for founder-CEOs to navigate. You’ve likely built the company by being the person who takes action. But scaling involves becoming the person who develops others to replace you, so you can move up.
The larger your company becomes, the more costly it is for you to remain stuck in a job. The true role of a CEO is to align people, set direction, unlock capital, and think ahead. These are the multipliers. That’s what builds enduring companies—not clinging to your old job like a security blanket.
So, if you’re feeling productive but somehow the business isn’t moving forward, stop and ask yourself: Am I leading, or am I just doing?
You might be surprised by the answer. This question is the first step toward freeing yourself, and your company, from a job you shouldn’t be doing.
