Delegation is not a vanishing act.

Delegation is not a vanishing act.

A client of 3 years signed a new contract recently.

But not without a comment that made me pause. He joked that my name on the DocuSign was a "fictitious" person, used only for signing documents.

Meaning, in his eyes, I was non-existent.

Most business owners should appreciate my position.

They'd understand that I've delegated and trusted the team to manage.

I've intentionally chosen not to be a bottleneck.

So where's the real failure?

Is it in not being the constant face of your company? Or is it in not empowering your team to shine?

You have to choose.

You can't fly the plane with the wheels on the ground.

If you're always in the weeds, always the one in the trenches, you're not giving your business room to soar.

You're not giving your team the opportunity to grow, to lead, to excel.

Sure, being present is important.

Building relationships and making connections matters.

But so does building a team you trust. So does creating a structure that can function smoothly without you.

That's not being fictitious.

That's being strategic.

It's understanding that your role as a leader is not to do everything yourself but to create an environment where others can thrive.

So if you're finding yourself being the bottleneck, if you're finding it hard to let go of the reins, remember: you can't touch the clouds with your feet on the ground.

You have to choose.

• Choose to empower.
• Choose to delegate.
• Choose to trust.

And watch your business take flight. Even if sometimes, from the outside, it might look like you're not even there.

That's not failure. That's success in its truest form.