How to Stop Being the Default Problem-Solver in Your Business

The Week Everything Hit at Once

It was one of those weeks that makes you question everything.

Client work deadlines.

Upcoming travel.

Team updates flying in every direction.

And right in the middle of all of it - a babysitter emergency.

What started as a simple misunderstanding spiraled into chaos: calls missed, schedules derailed, and that familiar feeling of “if I don’t fix this right now, everything will fall apart.”

It wasn’t really about the babysitter.

It was about what the moment revealed - the weight of being the person everyone depends on to make decisions.

The one holding all the answers.

The fixer.

The default problem-solver.

That night, I sat down with my laptop, exhausted but wide awake, replaying the day in my head. And it hit me:

It wasn’t that the people around me weren’t capable.

It was that I hadn’t taught them how to make decisions when I wasn’t there.

And that’s the same thing I see happen with so many business owners.

When your team can’t move without you, you’re not leading - you’re babysitting.

And it’s not because your team isn’t smart or committed.

It’s because they’ve never been taught to think, problem-solve, or own decisions the way you do.

So today, let’s talk about that.

Because if you’re exhausted by decision fatigue, overwhelmed by constant questions, or frustrated that your team “doesn’t take initiative,” this isn’t a capability problem.

It’s a clarity problem.

We’re talking about leadership clarity, decision-making, and how to stop being the default problem-solver in your business - for good.

You Don’t Have a Decision-Making Problem - You Have a Training Problem

Every leader hits a point where they feel like the bottleneck.

You start to wonder why your team can’t just decide.

They’re waiting on you to approve emails.

Waiting on you to greenlight purchases.

Waiting on you to confirm every move before they act.

At first, it feels like control.

But over time, it becomes chaos.

Here’s the truth:

Most leaders don’t have a decision-making problem.

They have a training problem.

Your team can only make decisions confidently if they understand how you make them.

If your process lives only in your head - the nuance, the “why,” the priorities behind your choices - they’ll never fully match your judgment.

So instead of thinking for themselves, they’ll keep asking for permission.

And that’s not a team problem.

That’s a leadership opportunity.

Teach your thought process, not just your preferences.

You can stop 80% of repetitive questions by teaching your team how to think like you.That doesn’t mean cloning your brain - it means transferring your filters.

Show them:

• How you prioritize urgency vs. importance.

• How you weigh client experience against profitability.

• How you make decisions when data is incomplete.

For example: if your team keeps asking when to escalate client issues, record a quick Loom explaining how you decide.

Walk through a real example.

Then tell them to use that logic next time before coming to you.

Because if you don’t teach your reasoning, you’ll keep being the reason they can’t move forward.

SOPs Don’t Fix Chaos — Leadership Does

Let’s get real:

Creating SOPs (standard operating procedures) feels productive.

You document your processes.

You make Looms.

You organize ClickUp.

But then tasks still fall through the cracks.

Deadlines still get missed.

People still Slack you with “Hey, where do I find…?”

Why?

Because systems don’t fix communication.

Leadership does.

A process without context is just a checklist. And no checklist can replace clarity.

If your systems aren’t working, it’s not just a tech issue - it’s a training issue.

Here’s the fix: Create one source of truth and teach it thoroughly.

That means:

• One project management tool (and everyone uses it).

• One file structure (and everyone understands it).

• One consistent place for communication (and everyone respects it).

Then - and this part matters - don’t just send a memo.

Record a 2-minute Loom explaining why that system exists.

When people understand the reason behind a process, they’re more likely to follow it.

Because systems don’t create order.

People do - when they’re led clearly.

Clarity in Roles Creates Confidence in Execution

One of the biggest causes of decision fatigue in business is role confusion.

Unclear titles = unclear accountability.

When no one knows exactly who owns what, every decision becomes a group project.

And that’s where overwhelm sets in.

Every person on your team should know:

1. What success looks like for them.

2. What decisions they can make without approval.

3. When to escalate vs. when to solve.

If those three things aren’t clear, you’ll keep being pulled into decisions you don’t need to make.

Because people don’t over-ask out of laziness.

They do it because they don’t want to get it wrong.

Clarity builds confidence. And confidence reduces reactivity.

And reactivity? That’s what burns CEOs out.

When you define decision boundaries, you create freedom - both for your team and for yourself.

Example:

• A marketing manager can approve ad copy but not new campaign budgets.

• A client manager can refund up to $200 without approval.

• A project lead can adjust timelines by two days without permission.

The clearer the boundary, the faster the execution.

Stop Reacting. Start Leading Through Questions.

If you’re constantly answering every question that hits your inbox, you’re training your team to depend on you.

The next time someone comes to you for a decision, resist the urge to fix it.Instead, start leading with questions.

Ask:

• “What options have you already considered?”

• “What do you think the best next step is?”

• “What information do you still need to decide?”

That one shift changes everything.

Because when you stop reacting and start guiding, you’re not just solving a problem - you’re developing a thinker.

You’re turning your team from executors into leaders.

Every question you answer for them now is one you’ll have to keep answering later.

Every question you redirect with coaching builds independence.

This is how you scale leadership without cloning yourself.

When You Teach People to Think, You Build Leaders - Not Dependents

Here’s the real secret to sustainable scaling: your team shouldn’t just do what you say - they should think how you think.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress toward independence.

When your team learns how to filter decisions through your company values, they’ll start making aligned choices automatically.

That’s when you stop managing - and start multiplying.

Let’s say your company values are integrity, clarity, and ownership.

When someone hits a roadblock, they can ask themselves:

• What’s the most honest and transparent next step?

• What would make this process clearer for the client?

• How can I take full ownership of this outcome?

When they use those filters consistently, their decisions begin to mirror yours - without your involvement.

And that’s what creates scalable leadership.

Because leadership isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about multiplying clarity across others.

When people know how to think, they don’t wait for instructions. They act - confidently and correctly.

Reflection + Action Steps

If you’ve been feeling like the only one keeping things together, pause. This isn’t a failure - it’s feedback.

Your exhaustion is information. It’s showing you exactly where your leadership needs more clarity.

Take a few minutes to reflect on these questions:

1. Do I find myself re-answering the same questions every week?→ If yes, record a short Loom explaining your thought process once, and let it live as a resource.

2. Where is my team waiting for me to think for them?→ Identify one recurring decision you can hand off by teaching how you make it.

3. Have I actually taught my team how to make decisions the way I do?→ If not, this is the week to start.

4. Which process or system keeps breaking because no one truly owns it?→ That’s where you need to assign clarity and accountability.

Action Prompts:

• Write down your top 3 recurring decisions.

• Document your thought process for each (what factors you consider, how you decide).

• Send a 2-minute Loom to your team explaining it.

• Then stop answering it for them.

Choose one system this month to simplify, clarify, and train fully.

Don’t overcomplicate it. Just start.

Leadership Isn’t About Control - It’s About Clarity

When you train your team how to think, you stop firefighting and start scaling.

You stop being the bottleneck, and your business starts breathing again.

Stepping back doesn’t mean letting go - it means leading forward.

You’ll always care about the outcome. But you don’t need to control every step to get there.

The best leaders don’t build teams that depend on them.

They build teams that think like them.

So if you’re tired of being the default problem-solver, remember this:

You don’t need more systems. You need stronger communication.

You don’t need more answers. You need to ask better questions.

Leadership clarity doesn’t mean doing less - it means leading smarter.

If this message resonated, share it with another leader who’s stuck answering every question for their team.

Then tag me @kelseakoenreich and tell me: What’s one thing you’re going to stop doing for your team and start teaching to your team instead?

And if you’re ready to build a business that scales without chaos - grab The SCALE Framework, my free guide to stop micromanaging and start leading with clarity.

Because when you stop solving every problem, you give your team - and yourself - permission to grow.