How to Build a Successful Team That Doesn’t Need You for Everything

Most founders picture a team as a full office and a big org chart. So they wait.

They wait until there's enough work to fill a role. Until they can afford a manager. Until things settle down.

Meanwhile, every task still lands on 1 desk.

At Win The Hour Win The Day, we look at teams very differently. Here's how we build a team that runs the work with you, starting with the 1 person you may already have.

How to build a successful team that doesn’t need you for everything

To build a successful team, set up the work so your team can lead it, then treat them as equals.

Without a team, you're self-employed. Most would argue you've bought yourself an expensive job.

When you first start out, doing it all yourself feels like saving money. It isn't. It costs you every hour you spend on work somebody else could run.

Your team stops needing you for everything when 3 things are true. They're equals, they have the steps, and they're trained to lead.

Here's how that works, in 6 steps.

#1 Count your team of 1

A team of 1 is still a team, because team is about how you work together.

Team is a philosophy, not a number.

You don't need 5 people to think like a team. You need 1 person who knows the goal, owns their part and speaks up when something could be better.

That changes how you hire, too. You stop looking for somebody to take orders…
and start looking for somebody to build with.

Before your first hire, get clear on what your team really needs.

#2 Put your team on the same side of the table

A successful team works as equals, so the old teacher and student setup has to go.

Many founders copy what they saw in corporate jobs. You assign the work. They do it. You check it.

That setup is very parentified. It's a parent watching a child, or a teacher standing over a student.

It also keeps every decision sitting with you.

We're all equals here. We're a circle. When it's done well, you shouldn't be able to tell who's the founder and who's the team member.

When people feel like equals, the energy changes. Work stops being permission-based, and everyone wants to contribute.

#3 Set up the work before your new hire walks in

Your new team member can only lead in a setup that's ready for them.

If you're looking for that magical person who will change everything, here's what you need to know.

The person matters. But your hiring, your onboarding and the setup in your business matter more.

The sweet spot sits in between. Get the first steps out of your head, then bring somebody in to grow them with you.

A business that only runs on the founder's memory is a big reason virtual assistants quit.

#4 Lean into each person’s strengths

Your team does its best work when each person spends most of the day in their lane of excellence.

Years ago, you'd hire for a few hours and pad the role with extra tasks. That watered down the work and the job satisfaction.

Now a lean team can run a busy business. Say your virtual assistant is great at client care but struggles with the back end of social media. Bring in somebody else for social media, and let each of them do what they do best.

Saying a task sits outside somebody's lane is no criticism. Knowing everybody's strengths is how you get the best out of people.

#5 Train your virtual assistant to lead

A successful team manages you, because your virtual assistant brings you what's next instead of waiting to be told.

This is the biggest shift founders notice when we work with them on their Win Team. Your team stops asking what to do…
and starts telling you what's coming.

Some founders hire a VA and wait for them to take charge. When it doesn't happen, they decide it never will.

That's why we find, hire and onboard a full-time virtual assistant we train to lead. Our Leadership Program shows them how to think ahead, own the work and speak up.

If those answers all point back to you, your VA hasn't been given room to lead yet.

#6 Lead by example

Your team follows what you do, so the setup has to work for you, too.

Do as I say, not as I do. A lot of founders lead that way without meaning to.

They set up steps for the team, then run around reacting all day. They drop in with quick questions and brand new priorities.

Don't be a friendly interruption to your own team.

Worried a team means more managing? Read why managing your team feels like a second job.

→Related read, How Scrum Works in a Small Business

Carrying everything yourself costs more than time. It's a fast road to small business burnout.

Toby went from burning through virtual assistants to a full podcast in a month.

When my husband had cancer, I was away for 2 years. Our clients didn't know.

The team kept going because it was built to lead.

Is your team still waiting on you?

Take the 5 Minute Capacity Check and see what's ready to come off your plate.

TAKE THE 5 MINUTE CAPACITY CHECK

Key Takeaways

• ✓A team of 1 is still a team. Team is about how you work together.
• ✓Equals on the same team beat the old teacher and student setup.
• ✓Set up the first steps before your new hire walks in, then grow them together.
• ✓Lean into each person's lane of excellence.
• ✓Train your virtual assistant to lead, so they bring you what's next.
• ✓Lead by example, and never be a friendly interruption to your own team.

Frequently asked questions

TAKE THE 5 MINUTE CAPACITY CHECK

Hear Connie Whitman share how "she's proactive, thinking ahead."