Leading a mid-market company can be both rewarding and relentless. You have built something significant, surrounded yourself with a capable team, and driven the business to a level of success that many never reach. Yet, for many mid-market CEOs and business owners, there comes a point where leadership starts to feel heavy.
It is not that you are isolated; you still have your team, advisors, and stakeholders. The issue is that when it comes to direction and decision-making, you are operating on your own. This “on-your-own” trap is one of the most common challenges I see among New Zealand’s mid-market leaders. Left unchecked, it limits growth, drains energy, and slows organisational momentum.
Why leaders end up carrying too much
The reasons are rarely about ego or control. They are structural and cultural, and they often evolve as the business grows.
- Over-owning decisions
As the company grows, the number of decisions expands. Instead of empowering others, many CEOs unconsciously absorb them. This creates a bottleneck where everything flows back uphill, reducing speed and accountability. - Under-involving the leadership team
When decisions that should be made collaboratively are made by one person, others disengage. Leaders think they are protecting quality or speed, but in reality, they are undermining both.
Learn why execution starts at the top.
- Capability gaps at the table
As Michael Goldsmith said, “What got you here won’t get you there.” The team that helped you grow to $10 million may not have the capability to take you to $50 million. Strong personal relationships can make these calls difficult, but avoiding them keeps you stuck. - Siloed functions and misalignment
If different parts of the business are not aligned around a clear strategy, everything requires CEO intervention. Misalignment means constant course correction and wasted energy. - Strategy and priorities are unclear
Without simple, shared priorities, it becomes impossible to benchmark what the business needs next. The result is confusion, duplicated effort, and missed opportunities.
Learn more in my blog Your Strategy Isn’t Clear Until Everyone Gets It.
Why this happens in mid-market businesses
Mid-market organisations sit in a unique space. They are no longer small and agile, but not yet large enough to have the full systems and structures of corporates. The transition from founder-led to leadership-led is the most difficult stage of growth.
Many leaders have grown alongside the business and have not had the time or support to step back and redefine what the organisation truly needs from its leadership team. Others hold on to operational responsibilities that should have been delegated years earlier. This creates what I call the gravity gap. This is where the leader becomes the gravitational centre of every decision, every meeting, and every problem.
The warning signs that you are carrying too much
Over the years, I have heard the same phrases repeated by CEOs in this position.
- “We are too deep in operations.”
- “The business feels chaotic and reactive.”
- “I am flat out all week, yet we are not moving forward.”
- “We are growing, but profits are not improving.”
These are not complaints about workload; they are indicators that the leadership system itself is under strain.
The personal and business cost
When leaders operate on their own for too long, the toll is significant.
It starts with longer hours and slower progress. Projects stall because execution is inconsistent. Over time, stress builds and confidence erodes. Many CEOs describe feeling like the business is running them instead of the other way around.
On the business side, the organisation becomes reactive. Leaders focus internally, losing sight of customers and market signals. Innovation slows. Execution falters. In the worst cases, the culture shifts from proactive to passive, as team members stop contributing and wait to be told what to do.
This situation is not sustainable. Yet, it is fixable.
Awareness is the first step
Recognising that you are carrying too much is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of maturity. The shift from being a driver of growth to being a builder of leaders is one of the hardest transitions any CEO will make. It requires clarity, structure, and the courage to make changes at the leadership level.
In the next article, I will explore how to build a leadership team that shares the load and what practical steps you can take to regain control, reduce stress, and accelerate performance.
If this feels familiar, reach out for a conversation. Every mid-market business is unique, and so is every leader. Together we can clarify what is really holding you back and design a path to sustainable, scalable growth.
