48 - The Biggest Time-Wasting Trap I Fell Into as a CEO
Most CEOs waste their best energy solving recurring problems. This episode reveals how to escape the hero trap and build systems that scale results without founder dependency.
The Biggest Time-Wasting Trap I Fell Into as a CEO
Working 70-hour weeks doesn’t mean you’re moving the business forward.
It often means the opposite.
Early in my CEO journey, I found myself firefighting daily, solving issues, answering team questions, and stepping into sales.
It felt like leadership, but it was a trap.
In this episode, I walk through the mindset shift and tactical change that helped me escape this loop and finally create leverage.
1. The Firefighting Illusion
I was showing up to solve problems. But they weren’t new. They were recurring.
Technical issues, delivery gaps, team dependencies.
The business wasn’t stuck because of the team; I was enabling it.
2. Time Audit Revelation
I tracked two weeks of my time and discovered 78% of my hours went to solving preventable issues.
The solution wasn’t effort, it was architecture.
3. 20% Rule for Strategic Systems
I committed to allocating at least 20% of my weekly time to building systems, not fixing problems.
That single shift reduced client issues by 50%, team questions by 75%, and founder-led sales by half while improving conversion.
The lesson?
Businesses don’t scale because of their founder’s hustle.
They scale because of their founder’s design.
If you're Still Doing Everything, you’re Not Leading.
Every problem you repeatedly solve is a system you haven’t built.
This episode gives you the blueprint to step out of the weeds and build the structure your business needs.
Because the goal isn’t to run faster, it’s to run fewer loops.
Highlights:
00:00 The Struggle of Overworking
00:04 Identifying the Hidden Trap
00:09 Daily Challenges and Realizations
00:39 The Turning Point
00:57 Implementing the Solution
01:09 Results and Improvements
01:22 Becoming the Architect of Your Business
Links:
Website: https://www.marcogrueter.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcogrueter/
Transcript:
I was working 70 hours a week, but my business was stuck. Then I found the hidden trap, killing my growth. Every day. I would arrive at work, determined to focus on growth, only to spend my hours fixing the same types of issues that had surfaced the previous month. Technical problems with client deliverables, team members needing guidance on projects, sales conversations requiring my expertise. I was the hero of my business. The indispensable firefighter who kept everything running, and that was precisely the problem.
The turning point came when I tracked my time for two weeks and discovered I was spending 78% of my hours solving problems that could have been prevented with props. The solution wasn't working harder or longer. It was fundamentally changing how I invested my time. I committed to spending at least 20% of each week building systems that would prevent problems rather than just solving them when they occurred within three months. Client delivery issues dropped by more than half team questions decreased by three quarters, and my personal involvement in sales was reduced by half. By conversion rates actually improved. Stop being the hero of your business. Start being its architect.