After running a 13-rep sales team, I figured managing only TWO Financial Zen employees would be easy. WRONG!

It wasn’t their fault. Now I realize just how bad my leadership was. 

Don’t get me wrong, we had a good relationship. I’m a generous boss who cares deeply about his employees.

But I didn’t set the team up for success because I was missing one absolutely critical management lesson.

Delegate, don’t abdicate. 

You can’t throw an employee (or financial advisor) the keys and take a nap in the back seat.

Delegation without follow-through is abdication.

My quality assurance was nonexistent. I hired Taylor and Chantal to do the tasks I didn’t want to do. 

Once they were up and running, I mentally washed my hands of those tasks.

What I thought was empowerment was actually failed leadership.

It took me 5 years to learn this lesson, so I hope others can learn from my mistake.

Any relationship involving someone else doing something for you requires a minimum amount of quality assurance – it doesn’t matter if it’s your direct reports or your contractor or your financial planner. 

Delegate, don’t abdicate.