When You’re the Bottleneck: A Leadership Wake-Up Call
If you’ve ever realized in a quiet moment that you might be the problem—this one’s for you.
Running a group practice isn’t for the faint of heart. You build systems, you hire great people, maybe you even implement something like EOS. And yet… things still don’t flow. Projects stall. Team members circle back to you for every decision. You feel like you're drowning in CC’d emails and half-written spreadsheets.
Welcome to the bottleneck trap.
In this week’s episode of the Culture Focused Practice Podcast, I dive deep into what it means to be the bottleneck in your business. Not in a shamey, “you’re doing it wrong” kind of way. But in the real, raw, emotional sense. The part that keeps you up at night and makes you wonder if you're somehow wired to get in your own way.
I walk through five reflection questions that hit hard:
How do you justify bottlenecking to yourself?
Where do you fear things will fall apart if you loosen control?
What’s the difference between high standards and micromanagement?
What would it really mean to stop being essential to every outcome?
And what part of your identity is wrapped up in being the problem-solver?
These aren’t surface-level prompts. They’re the inner work that leadership quietly demands.
And here’s the truth: systems only take you so far. Even with accountability charts, L10s, and structured rocks in place, if your hands are still on every detail, your team will never be truly self-led.
In the episode, I also walk through a real scenario of a practice owner who has all the right systems but can’t let go. Spoiler alert: the issue isn’t the systems. It’s something deeper—something psychological. Something human.
Whether it’s complex trauma, attachment patterns, or just high emotionality, many of us as leaders struggle to trust our teams enough to release control. And it’s costing us.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s awareness.
So, if any of this sounds familiar, pause. Breathe. Reflect.
You’re not alone. But you are responsible.
#LeadershipInPractice #TheOwnerRoom #BottleneckBehavior #CultureFirst
About the Author
Dr. Tara Vossenkemper is a gently-candid consultant who’s been in the trenches of group practice ownership since 2017. With a hearty blend of depth, irreverence, and a solid dash of humor (or so she hopes), Tara helps practice owners navigate the can-be-messy process of hiring, culture-building, vision generating, people-y issues, and all the other things that keep you up at night. When she’s not consulting, she’s probably wrangling her animals or homeschooling her kids—because why not add more chaos to the mix?
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