Leading Greats #167

For most founders, the company is not something they run. It's something they are. That's the cost:

Author

Ronnie Kinsey, MBA
June 02, 2026

A founder I worked with had built something significant over a decade. Revenue growing, team of dozens, first big funding round closed.

The board brought in a COO.

My client's first instinct was to stay close to everything. Not by design. Just present.

Decisions still ran through the founder. Hires, client conversations, strategic calls.

The COO was excellent. He lasted seven months.

When we dug into what happened, the answer wasn't about the COO. It was about what handing over real authority meant to my client.

Giving someone else ownership of the company felt like giving someone else ownership of who they were.

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The shift that mattered most wasn't a management decision. It was a personal one.

The question changed from "how do I delegate better?" to "who am I if I'm not the one running everything?"

That second question is harder. It is also the only one worth answering.

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Total ownership built the company.

Knowing which parts to hand off is what scales it.

Most founders understand this on paper. The personal work of actually doing it is something else entirely.

The leaders who scaled their companies and themselves did not let go of who they were.

They figured out who they needed to become.

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This week, write down every decision that still runs through you.

Circle the ones only you should make.

Everything else is a conversation you have not had yet.

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If you are building something and starting to feel like the company and you are the same thing, let's talk.

I have been in this work. I can help.

Book a 60 minute strategy call: https://calendly.com/ronniekinsey/60-minutes

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Make 2026 your best year yet.

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Until next time - keep it great,

-Ronnie

Founder | CEO | Executive & Leadership Coach, MBA, PCC

Leader | Advisor | Speaker | Writer

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