

When The Wrong “Who” Holds You Back
Sep 11, 2025
14:14

Have you delegated a key responsibility but still find yourself constantly pulled back into the details? In this episode, Shannon Waller reveals how an underperforming team member keeps you stuck in the weeds, how to spot the red flags, and why making a change is essential for your growth and your company’s momentum.
Show Notes:
- The clearest sign you have the wrong “Who” is that they keep you operating in the weeds instead of freeing you up.
- Your team members should be building capacity for the entire company, not creating bottlenecks that hold back your other A-players.
- A key signal of a wrong “Who” is a consistent lack of proactive leadership and new ideas in their area of responsibility.
- You must evaluate if a team member has hit their Ceiling of Complexity™ and can no longer grow with the company’s demands.
- The fundamental question to ask is, “If I could rehire for this role today, would I choose this person again?”
- Outgrowing a team member is not a failure but a natural consequence of ambitious entrepreneurial progress.
- Holding on to the wrong person for too long causes you to lose momentum and ultimately leads to resentment.
- Growth, not loyalty, should be the top criterion for evolving a team as the business levels up.
- Your minimum standard for any role should be consistent performance at 80% or above of your defined success criteria.
- The right “Who” for one stage of your company’s growth may not be the right “Who” for the next level.
- You deserve a team that operates with the same unique, creative, and ambitious standards you hold for yourself.
- Courageously making team changes ensures both business and personal freedom for what’s next.
Resources:
Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Multiplication By Subtraction by Shannon Waller