The CEO Trap: Why Working In Your Business Is Costing You Growth

If you feel like you're wearing 12 hats and none of them fit quite right… congratulations! You might be stuck in the CEO Trap. It’s that sneaky place where you own the business, but somehow you're also the receptionist, sales team, marketing department, and—on Tuesdays—the IT guy. It’s not that you don’t work hard. You work too hard. That’s the problem.

Here’s the truth: the more time you spend doing day-to-day tasks, the less time you have to actually lead your business. You’re not paid to refill the printer paper or answer every email the second it dings. You’re paid to think big, build systems, and make decisions that move your business forward. Growth doesn’t happen when you’re stuck putting out fires. It happens when you finally stop being the firefighter and start being the fire chief.

Are you feeling trapped?

So how do you escape the CEO Trap? Start by asking, “What am I doing today that someone else could do just as well—or better?” Then delegate it. Hire support, create systems, and trust your team. Remember: your business needs a leader, not a superhero in a headset. The more you work on your business instead of in it, the faster it grows—and the sooner you get your evenings (and sanity) back.