Accountability and Delegation with Bob Bliss

I talk with Bob Bliss about delegation and why leaders stay stuck doing everything themselves. He points to fear and control as the root problem, and he makes the case that a CEO has to delegate or the business stalls and turnover goes up. He shares a practical method: give someone real authority while you step away, do not let them call you unless it’s an emergency, then review what happened when you return. Mistakes are part of the process, so feedback matters. He avoids yelling, recognizes what was done right, and treats small errors as learning, not punishment. He also pushes for ideas from every level of the company, because the people closest to the work often see what leadership misses. When an employee’s idea changes a plan or procedure, he gives them public credit to build ownership. For smaller crews, he recommends easing people into responsibility one step at a time, learning who they are beyond the job, and building a foreman through repeat chances instead of a sudden handoff.