352: The Leadership Skill Most Business Owners Are Missing (And How to Learn It)

If you started your business because you're brilliant at what you do — you're not alone. Most business owners don't begin their journey dreaming of managing a team. They start because they're passionate about their craft, their expertise, or the impact they want to make. But eventually, something shifts. You reach a point where the business grows beyond what you alone can do. And the next stage of growth doesn't come from working harder — it comes from learning how to lead. In this week's episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, I sat down with leadership expert and entrepreneur Shivani Gupta to talk about one of the most important transitions a founder can make: moving from doing the work to leading the people who do the work. It's a transition many founders struggle with. Shivani shared that early in her career, she believed success meant working longer hours and doing everything herself. But over time, she discovered something surprising — the more she learned to let go, delegate, and focus on her "zone of genius," the more successful her businesses became. In this conversation, we explore: The critical mindset shift founders must make to grow beyond themselves The hidden cost of losing a team member (it's far more than recruitment) Why your highest performers are actually the most at risk of burnout The hiring mistake many small business owners make when they're in a hurry And the leadership skill most founders were never taught — but absolutely need One insight that stood out for me was Shivani's perspective on leadership as a coaching role. When founders learn how to ask better questions, support their team's thinking, and empower others to take ownership, something powerful happens: the team grows, the business grows, and the founder finally gets the space to lead. And that's ultimately what building a business is about — creating something that works with you, not something that depends entirely on you. If you're building a team, or thinking about building one, this episode will give you practical insights you can start using right away. Mentioned in This Episode: Apply to Join the HerBusiness Network Learn more about Shivani's services Check out Shivani's book Getting Your People to Step Up: 7 Simple Strategies to Attract and Keep Your Key Talent Katie Balogh, Bright Point Research (review/commenter)