The Addiction That's Killing Your Business
There's an addiction running rampant among business owners.
It's not alcohol. It's not drugs. It's not even social media.
It's being needed.
And like most addictions, the very thing that gives you a high is slowly destroying everything you've worked to build.
The High of Being Indispensable
Think about the last time someone said, "I don't know what we'd do without you."
That rush of importance. The validation that you're essential. The proof that your business truly needs you.
It feels incredible, doesn't it?
Now think about what happened after that moment. Did you delegate that responsibility to someone else? Or did you hold onto it even tighter?
If you're like most business owners, you gripped it harder. Because letting go would mean losing that hit of importance.
Why We Get Hooked
Being the go-to person feeds something deep in entrepreneurs:
Control. When everything runs through you, nothing happens without your approval. You know about every decision, every problem, every opportunity.
Significance. Your phone buzzes constantly. People need you. You matter. Without you, everything would fall apart.
Competence. You know you can handle it better than anyone else. You've solved this problem before. You're the expert.
Safety. If you're involved in everything, nothing can go wrong without you knowing about it.
These aren't character flaws. They're natural human needs that entrepreneurship amplifies to dangerous levels.
The Cost of Your Addiction
But here's what being indispensable actually costs you:
Your Business Can't Scale
Every process that requires your input is a bottleneck. Your growth is capped at your personal capacity. While your competitors are building systems that work without them, you're building a business that collapses without you.
Your Team Can't Grow
When you swoop in to save the day, you rob your people of the chance to figure it out themselves. They become dependent instead of capable. You're not developing leaders—you're creating followers.
Your Life Disappears
Vacations become working trips. Evenings become extended office hours. Weekends become catch-up time. You traded building a business for becoming one.
Your Mental Health Suffers
The weight of being essential to everything is crushing. You can't relax because there's always something that needs you. You can't delegate because no one does it quite right. You're stressed, exhausted, and somehow still convinced this is how success looks.
Breaking the Addiction
Like any addiction, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
If you:
Check email within 30 minutes of waking up
Feel anxious when your phone isn't nearby
Can't enjoy time off because you're worried about work
Find yourself saying "it's easier if I just do it myself"
Get frustrated when people don't handle things exactly how you would
You're addicted to being needed.
The second step is accepting that recovery is uncomfortable. When you start delegating and stepping back, you'll feel:
Useless
Worried
Out of control
Tempted to jump back in
This discomfort isn't a sign you're doing it wrong. It's withdrawal from your addiction to importance.
Your Recovery Plan
Start Small
Pick one recurring task that doesn't require your unique expertise. Document how to do it. Train someone else. Then force yourself not to take it back when they do it differently.
Create Systems, Not Dependencies
Instead of being the solution to every problem, become the person who builds solutions. Create checklists, processes, and decision frameworks that work without you.
Redefine Your Value
Your worth isn't measured by how much people need you today. It's measured by how well your business works without you tomorrow.
Find New Sources of Fulfilment
Replace the high of being needed with the satisfaction of building something that transcends you. Celebrate when your team solves problems without involving you.
The Other Side of Recovery
When you successfully break free from the need to be needed, something remarkable happens:
Your business becomes more valuable. Your team becomes more capable. Your stress decreases dramatically. Your life becomes your own again.
And ironically, by making yourself less essential to the day-to-day operations, you become more valuable to the long-term success of your business.
The Choice
You can continue feeding your addiction to being indispensable. You can keep getting your fix from being the person everyone needs for everything.
Or you can build a business that works so well, it barely needs you at all.
One path leads to a job you can never leave.
The other leads to an asset you can actually enjoy.
Which addiction are you ready to break?