In a recent episode of the EO Philadelphia Ignite & Inspire Podcast, Tina Hamilton sat down with Bethany Kassar, a licensed clinical social worker and the spouse of a successful entrepreneur.
The conversation started with entrepreneurship and family, but then they discussed how the issue is broader than that.
For CEOs and business owners, particularly while an organization is growing, the business can become all-consuming. You're responsible for clients, employees, payroll, growth, problems, opportunities, and whatever might happen tomorrow. Bethany describes how that responsibility becomes heavier as a business grows and more people's livelihoods depend on the entrepreneur.
When you own a business, responsibility follows you home.
There are employees depending on you. Clients. Payroll. Decisions that can't wait. Problems that aren't resolved simply because it's Friday afternoon.
And as a company grows, that responsibility doesn't necessarily get lighter.
Bethany made an interesting observation during the conversation. As an entrepreneur builds a company and begins taking responsibility for other people's livelihoods, the weight on their shoulders can actually become greater.
But something else should be happening at the same time: The organization should be becoming more capable.
More people. More expertise. Stronger managers. Better processes. Clearer responsibilities.
In other words, as the company grows, the CEO's role should be growing up with it.
Bethany compared the evolution of a business to developmental stages.
At the beginning, it's almost like an infant. The entrepreneur nurtures it. You're figuring out funding, finding customers, hiring people, and doing whatever needs to be done to get the business off the ground.
Then stability comes, followed by another stage of growth. Eventually the questions change again: What's next? Where is this going? What does the business need now?
Her point was simple: At every stage, the entrepreneur is needed in a different way. Because businesses evolve, but sometimes the way we lead them doesn't.
The CEO who had to be involved in every decision when there were five employees may still be involved in every decision when there are 50.
Managers bring employee problems straight to the CEO.
The CEO weighs in on routine hiring decisions.
Performance issues move up the ladder instead of being addressed where they occur.
Questions that should have clear answers become leadership-team discussions.
At some point, that's no longer simply dedication. It's a sign that the organization may need a stronger foundation underneath its leader.
There will always be times when a CEO needs to be deeply involved in the business. But if you consistently feel that you can't step away, it's worth asking why.
Are your managers empowered to make decisions?
Do they know how to handle difficult employee conversations?
Are roles and responsibilities clear?
Do employees know where to go when they need help?
Are people decisions handled consistently, or does every situation require a new conversation?
Have you built enough expertise around you to handle work that no longer requires your direct involvement?
These aren't questions about working fewer hours. They're questions about building an organization that works better. Because there's a difference between a business that benefits from your leadership and one that depends on your constant involvement.
For many growing organizations, managers are the bridge between those two stages.
Strong managers don't eliminate the need for leadership. They allow senior leaders to spend more time actually leading.
They address performance concerns before they become major problems. They set expectations. They answer employee questions. They recognize when something needs additional expertise and know when to ask for help.
But managers can't do that simply because we've given them a title.
They need clarity about their authority. They need consistent processes. They need coaching. And sometimes they need someone experienced to call when a people situation gets complicated.
When that support exists, fewer routine issues need to make their way to the CEO.
That's good for the manager. It's good for employees. And it's very good for the person whose mind is still at work while having dinner with their family.
This isn't an argument for entrepreneurs to somehow become better at “work-life balance.”
It's about something different.
As your company grows, keep asking what it actually needs from you now.
There are things only you can do. Set direction. Make major strategic decisions. Shape culture. Build critical relationships. Decide where the organization is going next.
And then there are things you may still be doing simply because you've always done them.
Those are worth examining.
Bethany's perspective from the other side of entrepreneurship was a good reminder that the way we build and lead our organizations doesn't stay at the office. The people we go home to experience it, too.
Building a business takes an enormous amount of you.
Building a strong organization means, eventually, it shouldn't have to.
Building a business affects more than the person building it. The responsibilities, decisions, risks, and rewards have a way of following entrepreneurs home.
But as a business grows, what it needs from its leader should change.
The full conversation with Bethany Casar offers a thoughtful perspective on entrepreneurship from someone who has experienced it from both sides, as the spouse of a longtime entrepreneur and as a business owner herself. She and Tina talk candidly about family, presence, sacrifice, success, and how the entrepreneurial journey evolves over time
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