Accountability and Delegation with Bob Bliss

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast I talk with Bob Bliss about delegation and why most entrepreneurs stay stuck doing everything themselves. The core idea is simple. If you want to grow the business, you have to stop being the bottleneck.

We get into the fear behind delegation. A lot of leaders worry someone will replace them or mess things up. Bob makes the case that fear has no place in leadership. Mistakes are part of learning, and protecting people from responsibility only limits their growth and the company’s future.

He shares how he developed leaders by putting them in charge while he stepped away. No constant hand holding. No calling unless it was a real emergency. When he returned, he reviewed what happened, recognized what went right, and treated mistakes as lessons, not failures.

We also talk about how feedback should work. No yelling. No tearing people down. Praise what they do well, correct issues with respect, and give them another shot. If you hire smart people, your job is to keep them challenged, trusted, and supported.

Another big point is listening to employees at every level. Some of the best ideas come from the people closest to the work. When an employee contributes a useful idea, give them the credit. That builds ownership and encourages more initiative.

We also dig into why refusing to delegate leads to burnout, turnover, and stalled growth. If you never let someone try, they will never get better. Leadership means accountability, not hiding behind committees or avoiding decisions.