“I’m a Visionary” isn’t a Good Excuse
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I’ve noticed that some visionary business owners will use their “visionary” status as a reason to stay out of operations when problems arise.
In my opinion, it is an unsatisfactory excuse almost every time. But I’ve also been trying to challenge myself on it. Maybe I’m being too harsh? Maybe visionaries should stay out of operations and focus exclusively on the vision?
Then I look at the companies we work with that are actually making progress on their strategic plans. They do have strong visionaries, but those same visionaries don’t hesitate to jump into operations when something’s on fire, get the shit fixed, and then get back out.
Here’s the nuance: I’m not advocating for owners to bulldoze the org chart. Give your people time and power first. One example of this came from a visionary owner of a large (and successful) mechanical contracting firm we work with.
This past week, a VP from a GC left him a voicemail about a specific project they are working on. Instead of calling back, he forwarded the message to his team and directed them to resolve it. Fortunately, he has some good leaders in the construction department, and they got it resolved without pulling him in.
If the owner had taken that call, the GC would go to him every time, which breaks the chain of command and puts him in every problem forever. This is just good leadership! And frankly, good discipline on his part to let his team take care of business.
But there’s a line between empowering and abdicating. When a problem grows (margin erosion, repeated schedule slips, safety issues, client dissatisfaction) without correction from the larger staff, a visionary leader earns their title by jumping into the trenches. Not to all of a sudden run every aspect of the day-to-day, but to provide clear direction, remove two or three roadblocks only an owner can remove, implement necessary change, and monitor the situation until the problem is corrected.
Yes, there’s one clean exception: the visionary with a truly elite operational partner who has consistently demonstrated an ability to solve the organization’s largest problems. But even there, you’ll still have moments where the visionary must step in, reset priorities, make a few key decisions, and stay close through execution.
In my experience, the more “visionary” becomes a shield, the less likely the strategic plan is to get done. The more “visionary” is paired with timely operational intervention, the more the plan becomes a reality.
If you own a construction company, your team is watching what you do when it’s messy. Sometimes, staying high-level can be the right thing to do. But other times it is avoidance disguised as strategy. Be the leader who empowers first, then intervenes when necessary.
Spark Notes:
I keep seeing “I’m the visionary” used as a hall pass to avoid ops when things get messy—and most of the time, it’s a weak excuse.
The owners actually making strategic progress empower their team first, but when something’s on fire, they jump in, get it fixed, and then get back out.
Good leadership isn’t bulldozing the org chart: forward the problem, let your leaders solve it, and protect the chain of command so you’re not the default escalator forever.
But empowerment isn’t abdication—when margin, schedule, safety, or client trust keeps sliding, a real visionary gets in the trenches to remove the owner-only roadblocks, set direction, drive change, and stay close until it’s corrected.
