There’s an old saying in business: The bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle. It’s a blunt reminder that usually, the biggest constraint to an organization’s growth, efficiency or culture is leadership. That’s not an insult, it’s an opportunity.
WHAT IT MEANS
In manufacturing, a bottleneck is the stage in the process that slows down everything else. It’s where output is constrained, no matter how fast the other steps move. In business, leadership is the “top of the bottle.” If the leader is unclear, indecisive or overloaded, the entire organization feels it. If the leader doesn’t communicate priorities, make decisions or model the values, the flow slows to a trickle.
SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE THE BOTTLENECK
- Decisions stack up on your desk: Projects stall because people are waiting on you.
- You’re in every meeting: You attend not because you need to, but because you haven’t empowered others.
- Priorities are fuzzy: The team works hard but in different directions.
- Problems keep coming to you first: This includes issues your team could resolve.
- Growth has plateaued: You suspect it’s not the market, it’s you.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
I once coached a business where the owner insisted on approving every marketing message, every proposal and every client discount. She was brilliant at the details, but her attention was a finite resource. At first, the business grew. But then, sales slowed. Campaigns got stuck, and employees became hesitant to take initiative. Once we identified her as the bottleneck and created processes, delegated and hired an assistant, revenue grew 20% in six months.
HOW TO OPEN THE BOTTLENECK
- Clarify decision rights: Decide what you must approve and what others can own. Think “decision matrix” here.
- Delegate with guardrails: Give your team authority plus clear boundaries.
- Prioritize relentlessly: If everything is urgent, nothing is.
- Build systems: Standard processes reduce dependence on you.
- Develop leaders beneath you: The more capable your leaders, the less everything flows through you.
WHY THIS MATTERS
When the bottleneck is at the top, the fix starts at the top. Leaders who are willing to get out of their own way don’t just free up capacity; they create a culture where others step up, innovate and drive results. Bottom line: Look at your business honestly. If you’re the one slowing it down, that’s good news; you have the power to open things up.