One of the biggest missteps I have seen with small business owners is trying to wear every hat themselves. Some even tout the busyness as a badge of honor - it’s not and is a clear path to burnout (some of this is covered in Book Brews 59 and 96). As Greg McKeown so eloquently puts it in his #238 newsletter, “It’s easier to stay busy than to face the challenge of making meaningful progress.”
Another misconception? Thinking weaknesses are a bad thing. News flash: we are all great at some things and really suck at others - and that is completely okay.
The Orchestra Effect: Why Leaders Shouldn’t Play Every Instrument
In reading Principles, I came across Dalio’s idea of an orchestra and how it relates to running a business. While the conductor knows how to play an instrument (or many), her role isn’t to sit in the chairs and play all the instruments herself. Her role is to orchestrate others in a way that produces a beautiful symphony. Each musician is handpicked for their strengths in their particular instrument. A flutist isn’t criticized for being weak in playing the trombone.
So why do we criticize a visionary for not being able to see the minutiae of details? Rather, picking a team that complements each other, filling in the weakness gaps with other’s strengths.
The "Baseball Card" Method: Mapping Strengths and Weaknesses
One of the methods that Dalio’s company uses to do this is through the use of many personality assessments of all employees and then creating what they call “Baseball Cards” of each team member that list their strengths and weaknesses.
This makes it easy for everyone to look at a project team's makeup and see that they are lacking someone who sees the big picture or too heavy in those who approach things emotionally rather than logically.
The Diablo III Lesson: Why Diversity Wins
For me, the idea of baseball cards didn’t really land since I’m not (nor have ever been) a baseball fan (I can hear Damien cringe at this as I write it). But I have played card games and even video games that rely on forming teams whose players have diverse skills.
For instance, in the game Diablo III, in the multiplayer mode, you can play what is called Rifts with other players. If you all happen to be wizards wearing the same gear using the same set of skills, you aren’t likely to do well. But if you get a team made up of a wizard, a monk, a barbarian, and a necromancer, you will kill it.
The same concept applies in business. Build a diverse team that fills in all the weakness gaps and can help shed light on the blindspots.
The Hidden Cost of Wearing Every Hat
Wearing all the hats (or even too many) doesn’t just lead to burnout—it can also slow your business down.
Every minute spent wrestling with operations, tech issues, or admin work is a minute not spent growing your business, serving your customers, or refining your vision.
The most successful business owners don’t do it all. They focus on what they do best and delegate the rest. Whether that means hiring internally, automating processes, or outsourcing to specialists, smart delegation allows your business to scale without draining you.
Another great quote from McKeown fits well here, “Just because you can handle it all doesn’t mean you should. Protect your bandwidth like your future depends on it - because it does.”
What’s one task you’re handling right now that someone else could do better, faster, or more efficiently?
Ponder This
- What strengths do you bring to your business, and where could you benefit from complementary skills?
- If your team were a video game squad or an orchestra, what role would you play?
- Think about your biggest bottleneck. Is it a tech issue? An operational inefficiency? What if solving it didn’t have to be your problem?
Books/Newsletters
- Principles - Ray Dalio
- 1MW - Greg McKeown
If you’re spending too much time on the wrong tasks, maybe it’s time to bring in outside help. The right support—whether in operations, automation, or tech—can free you to focus on what you do best. We help business owners do just that.
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