(And Why You Probably Need to Delegate More)

The Mirror Test for CEOs

Have you ever wondered what your team really thinks of you as a CEO? Not the sugar-coated, polite version they tell you in meetings, but the honest-to-goodness, behind-closed-doors discussions they have over coffee?

Are you the visionary leader they admire, the bottleneck they secretly curse, or—heaven forbid—the overworked, over-caffeinated, slightly erratic CEO who insists on doing everything?

This blog is a reality check (served with a healthy dose of humour) on the kind of CEO you are, what your team thinks of your leadership style, and why delegation might just be the magic potion to save you from burnout.

The Many Faces of a CEO: Which One Are You?

1. The “Superhuman” CEO

AKA: The One Who Won’t Delegate Even if Their Life Depended on It

Characteristics:

• Believes they can (and should) do everything.
• Thinks “If you want something done right, do it yourself” is a legitimate business strategy.
• Replies to emails at 3 AM with “Just a quick thought…”
• Is always late because they’re juggling every department’s work.

What Your Team Is Saying:

• “I don’t think they’ve slept since 2018.”
• “Why do we even have employees if they’re doing everything themselves?”
• “I tried to help, but they just took it back and redid it.”

The Problem:
Trying to be superhuman is a one-way ticket to exhaustion. Research from Harvard Business Review states that leaders who try to micromanage everything end up making poorer decisions due to fatigue and lack of perspective.

Solution:
Trust your team! Delegation isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a power move.

2. The “Idea Factory” CEO

AKA: The One Who Has a New Business Idea Every 5 Minutes

Characteristics:

• Always excited about the next big thing.
• Starts sentences with “I just had a thought…” (sending shivers down the team’s spine).
• Has 37 projects in motion, none of them finished.
• Thinks last month’s strategy is “old news.”

What Your Team Is Saying:

• “We’re still working on the last ‘game-changing idea’ from last week.”
• “It’s like working for a startup… that never actually starts up.”
• “If they just stuck to one thing, we’d probably be billionaires by now.”

The Problem:
Ideas are great, but execution matters. Steve Jobs once said, “To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.”

Solution:
Appoint a “Reality Check” team member (or COO) whose job is to filter and prioritise ideas. Delegation ensures that the best ideas get executed properly rather than getting lost in the CEO’s creative tornado.

3. The “Ghost” CEO

AKA: The One Who’s Always “In a Meeting”

Characteristics:

• Has a calendar so packed it looks like a game of Tetris.
• Prefers to communicate via an assistant rather than talking to employees directly.
• Is rumoured to exist but rarely seen.

What Your Team Is Saying:

• “I think I saw them once in the hallway last year.”
• “Our Slack messages have been ‘seen’ but never answered.”
• “I got a one-word reply to my email after three weeks: ‘Noted.’”

The Problem:
If your team never sees you, they lose direction and motivation. A study from Gallup found that CEOs who engage regularly with their teams increase employee engagement by 21%.

Solution:
Use delegation to clear your calendar of unnecessary meetings and prioritise real interactions with your team. Richard Branson swears by this, emphasising the power of delegation to allow CEOs to focus on leadership.

4. The “Control Freak” CEO

AKA: The One Who Asks for a “Quick Update” Every 10 Minutes

Characteristics:

• Reviews everything down to the font size in PowerPoint presentations.
• Can’t resist checking up on projects every hour.
• Thinks “micromanagement” is just another word for “being detail oriented.”

What Your Team Is Saying:

• “I spend more time explaining what I’m doing than actually doing it.”
• “Even my bathroom breaks feel monitored.”
• “I forwarded an email, and they rewrote it before sending it.”

The Problem:
Micromanagement kills productivity and morale. Studies show that employees who feel trusted by leadership are 50% more productive.

Solution:
Set clear expectations and let your team own their work. As Elon Musk put it: “If you need rules and regulations to manage employees, you hired the wrong people.”

Why Delegation is the Secret to Success

If you recognise yourself in any of these CEO types, take a deep breath—it’s not too late to change! Delegation is more than just offloading work; it’s about empowering your team, increasing productivity, and ensuring you stay sane.

Here’s what delegation can do for you:

Free Up Time for Big-Picture Strategy – Instead of drowning in daily operations, focus on growth.
Boost Employee Confidence and Skills – When people own their work, they perform better.
Improve Decision-Making – Fresh perspectives lead to better solutions.
Prevent Burnout – You’ll still have energy left for life outside work!

According to McKinsey & Company, CEOs who effectively delegate see a 33% increase in business performance.

Final Thoughts: Which CEO Will You Choose to Be?

Your team will talk about you—make sure they can talk freely with you

Be the Strategic CEO, not the Superhuman CEO.
Be the Visionary CEO, not the Idea Factory CEO.
Be the Present CEO, not the Ghost CEO.
Be the Empowering CEO, not the Control Freak CEO.

Delegate, trust, and watch your team thrive!

And if you still think you can do it all yourself—remember even Batman has Alfred. 🚀 Which CEO type are you? Drop a comment and let’s discuss!