CEO 30-Second Mindset Shift: If You’re the Bottleneck, Pay Attention

If your calendar is full of escalations and approvals, this isn’t a time-management issue. It’s an operating design signal.

Author

Glenda Carnate
February 17, 2026

Read time: 2.5 minutes

A CEO had a reputation for being decisive, so team members made quick decisions because it was faster when I made a decision.  However, over time, that changed.  There were more approvals coming to them, "quick questions" being asked of them, and last-minute escalations to them.  Growth didn't stop dramatically... it just came to a quiet halt.

While the CEO was not under stress due to their inability, their teams lacked ownership, which put them under stress.  With every escalation, it was a signal that there were no clear decision rights... therefore, the company had learned to default upward to the next level of management.

Decrease the Number of CEO Interactions Without Losing Control:

1. Review Escalation Procedures Over the Last 30 Days.

Track every decision that comes to you. Ask yourself: "Was this really a decision that needed to go to the CEO?"

Patterns will highlight design flaws.

2. Clearly Define Decision Rights

Clearly define:

  • Who makes the decisions?

  • The thresholds for what needs to be escalated.

  • What does not need to be escalated?

If it isn't in writing, it can be negotiated or argued.

3. Quantify Risk Limitations

Set up boundaries around:

  • Budget limits

  • Revenue effect

  • Strategic deviations

When risks are determined less escalations will occur.

4. Align Ownership With Authority

If the end owner owns the end result, they should also own the decision. Re-deciding their decisions creates an environment of dependence.

5. Pause For Self Reflection

Before making a decision or responding to the next escalation, ask yourself: "Is this really a decision for the CEO?" or "Did I design it that way?"

That question will change your behavior.

💡Key Takeaway: 

Congestion means that if everything requires your approval, you are not in control. Speed is determined by fewer touchpoints as a CEO and by the design of your decision-making processes, not by more effort from you. The true leverage comes not from making quicker decisions, but from making better-designed decisions.

👉 LIKE this if you have experienced executive congestion that was disguised as leadership.

👉 SUBSCRIBE now for sharp, practical mindset shifts built for CEOs scaling real organizations.

👉 Follow Glenda Carnate for frameworks that reduce bottlenecks and accelerate execution.

👉 COMMENT “CONGESTION” if you’re rethinking decision rights in your company.

👉 SHARE this with a CEO who needs fewer approvals... not more effort.

Reply

or to participate.