The more capable you are, the easier it is to accidentally make your practice depend on you.
You’re good at interviewing, so you keep interviewing. You’re good at handling conflict, so everyone brings it to you. You’re good with upset patients, so you’re always the one who gets pulled in.
It feels efficient in the moment. Over time, though, you teach your team that anything important still belongs to you.
If you want your team to take more ownership, start here:
- Ask, “Does this actually require me?”
Not, “Can someone else do it as well as I can?” The better question is whether this responsibility truly needs to belong to the owner. - Let your team grow into it.
They probably won’t do it perfectly at first. Let them try, coach them, and give them time to improve. Strong leaders cannot develop if you keep all the important responsibilities yourself. - Move one meaningful responsibility this week.
Pick something you’re good at and decide how to do it for the last time. Document it, train someone, and hand over real ownership.
If you’re frustrated that your team doesn’t take enough initiative, look at what you’re still holding onto. Sometimes the issue is not that they won’t take ownership. It’s that you haven’t given them enough to own.
P.S. If you’re building a team that takes more ownership and a practice that depends less on you, come join us inside the free DPH Community. Connect with other practice owners working through the same leadership, systems, and team challenges. Join the DPH Community here.
