When you're ready to scale a business, leadership must shift from a founder-led model to a team-powered approach. A company that empowers its team includes every team member fully committed to the goals and objectives of the organization and promotes growth autonomously from the owner, founder or CEO.

This setup is vital for scaling, as it allows the leader to focus on the future of the company while the team efficiently handles day-to-day operations. When your team is empowered and aligned, your business gains the momentum to sustainably grow and thrive beyond the initial rush of the founding days.

Why you need a team-powered company to scale

Telltale sign that a company is not powered by the team is when the business owner becomes the hero. A hero who has to jump in and save the day, constantly putting out fires and dealing with pressing issues instead of focusing on what's important to growing the company. This creates a bad habit of spending time putting out fires instead of focusing strategically, which will ultimately reduce those emergency situations. Focus on having dedicated leaders in every area of ​​your company. Embracing a more collaborative approach allows your team to thrive and reach its full potential to grow.

I know a company isn't team-powered when business people regularly reinvent the wheel because they don't have stable systems and processes or are constantly updating their systems as technology changes. leadership should act with empowerment, inspiring the team to action rather than simply telling people what to do. It's important to remember that your team works better when inspired than when instructed. They want to share their ideas and contribute creatively to the company's vision.

Among the many benefits a team-powered company can bring, founders should remember these three reasons this setup is critical for any company looking to grow.

1. A team-powered company increases business value

Reluctance to delegate is one of the trickiest obstacles for business owners. They feel that critical information will fall through the cracks without their close participation in day-to-day operations. However, it is important to recognize that when a company relies only on its founder, its overall value is significantly reduced. Investors or potential buyers are less inclined to withdraw from a business that lacks sustainability once leadership changes hands. Your goal is to elevate yourself to the visionary position, enabling the business to thrive independently.

Related: 3 easy ways to empower your team

2. Team empowerment fosters a strong and scalable culture

When your company is team-powered, you're not just relying on one or a few individuals to pull the entire team forward. Instead, an entire team directs their energy toward your company's goals. This sticky moment helps create a culture where every team member feels valued and driven to participate. or strong culture is developed by empowering and aligning with your business vision; it can't just magically happen.

Growing a company is about repeating success and not just growing your revenue or market presence. Replication it starts with a team that shares your vision and feels empowered to take responsibility for their roles. When each team member contributes their creativity and ideas, your business scales faster because you're no longer limited by the skills or bandwidth of a single individual.

Related: 7 ways to empower your team to thrive through change

3. Scalable models require a shift from owner dependence to team empowerment

Scaling requires a business model that allows your product or service to replicate beyond you as the owner. If you're still bogged down in the sales process or other core operations, then your business isn't scalable—there are only so many hours in the day and your capacity will be maxed out.

The most successful brands use 15 scalable models, including franchising, subscription services, SaaS, licensing and replicating talent on your team. Pinnacle Global Network and its team of mentors help businesses implement these models to increase their growth.

Entrepreneurs who believe that customers only want to work with them often struggle with the idea of ​​taking a step back, fearing that doing so will cause the business and potential partnership to fall through the cracks. But with a strong, team-powered company, that's simply not true.

The key is extreme clarity in your company's direction and vision. Each team member must be clear about what success looks like for their role and for the company and understand their role in achieving the vision internally and externally. The CEO will find it less difficult to quit when everyone is in line and heading towards the same North Star. Instead of saying, “I'm doing this” or “I'm creating that,” start saying, “We are,” and put the focus on your team. Highlight their achievements and strengths to your clients so they can have confidence in your team's ability to deliver.

Related: The best way for your business to thrive is for it not to need you

Start empowering your team today

One step entrepreneurs or CEOs can take to empower their teams today is to work on their leadership style and assess how they communicate with their teams. Instead of answering everyone's questions and making the team dependent on you, ask them, “What do you think is a great solution?” or “How would you handle this situation?” You might even say, “Why don't you make a plan and present it to the team?” These are small ways to empower your team to take ownership and deliver creativity in their work. When they do, they will care much more about it, take pride in it, and put more energy into the success of their work.

As this happens, the team will become less dependent on the owner, allowing them to move more into that visionary role and focus on bigger picture strategies. This directly affects scalability because when the team is empowered and the owner isn't stuck every day, the company can move to a more scalable model that iterates and multiplies.