Build a Business That Runs Without You

Could your business survive a month without you or would it collapse the minute you left?

In this episode, Bill shares a personal story about stepping away from his company for a month-long family trip to Italy—and what it took to make that possible. It’s not just about systems and scorecards (though those matter), but about shifting your leadership style and truly empowering your team. This isn’t a fantasy. It’s a leadership strategy that can dramatically improve your life and business.

Topics explored in this episode:

(00:26) The Real Question: Can You Leave?

*Taking a month off wasn’t convenient, but it was necessary—and Bill committed to making it happen.

(03:40) The Leadership Problem

*Even with systems in place, Bill realized he was still the bottleneck. His team couldn’t step up if he didn’t let go.

(04:29) Training the Team, Slowly and Steadily

*How he rewired his leadership by handing off responsibility and asking, “What will you do when I’m gone?”

(08:03) The Result: A Month in Italy

*His team performed beautifully during a critical growth phase. No fire drills. Just updates and momentum.

(09:30) Stop Being the Hero

*If you always need to save the day, you’ll always surround yourself with people who need saving.

Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth.

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Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. 

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