--- title: Don't let responsibility swim upstream description: When scaling up, be sure to lead your team to take responsibility at their own level image: https://esul.org/hubfs/LI%20blog%204a.png --- This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. #### European Scale Up Leaders [![Structured Growth](https://esul.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo_ESUL_beeldmerk_ScaleUpFlame-1.png?width=816&height=576&name=Logo_ESUL_beeldmerk_ScaleUpFlame-1.png "Structured Growth")](https://esul.org/) [![Structured Growth](https://esul.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo_ESUL_beeldmerk_ScaleUpFlame-1.png?width=816&height=576&name=Logo_ESUL_beeldmerk_ScaleUpFlame-1.png "Structured Growth")](https://esul.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Services](https://esul.org/en/) Show submenu for Services - [BOB - WINNING TEAMS](https://esul.org/sign-up-for-bob) - [SCALING POWER](https://esul.org/en/) - [Founder](https://esul.org/en/niels-hardam-founder) - [Book](https://esul.org/en/book) - [Scaling Knowledge](https://esul.org/blog) - [Contact](https://esul.org/contact) - [Services](https://esul.org/en/) Show submenu for Services - [BOB - WINNING TEAMS](https://esul.org/sign-up-for-bob) - [SCALING POWER](https://esul.org/en/) - [Founder](https://esul.org/en/niels-hardam-founder) - [Book](https://esul.org/en/book) - [Scaling Knowledge](https://esul.org/blog) - [Contact](https://esul.org/contact) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Don't let responsibility swim upstream by [Niels Hardam](https://esul.org/blog/author/niels-hardam) | Jun 12, 2026 - - - - Don't Let Responsibilities Swim Upstream! Scaling up entails picking apart your process and delegating parts of it to specialized professionals. As a dedicated founder, you now may become prone to falling in the ‘reverse delegation’ gap. In other words, you distribute tasks and roles, but through a variety of reasons, these tasks or parts of them come back to you. Daniel Marcos of the Growth Institute writes: ‘The truth is, if you don't invest in educating and training your team – along with yourself – you will end up with massive pushback, and a lack of understanding of the new models you are learning and implementing.’ The interjection is crucial here. YOU may be the one who needs the most training. You may be a perfectionist, may not trust other fully with their new responsibilities, or may simply be a can-do guy or gal, who willingly puts his/her shoulders under tasks that are no longer theirs. And then there are the sneaky types who, through skillful communication, try to make you accountable for their issues. To help yourself with this increased burden, below are a few practical questions you can use (c/o Dan Rockwell), to make yourself and your team more aware of the delineations of responsibility: 1 - “What’s the next step you can take?” (Use “you,” not “we.”) 2 - “I want this to be a team effort. What contribution can you make?” 3 - “I think you misunderstood my question. I wasn’t thinking about something I should do. I was wondering how you might run with it.” 4 - “Which of your strengths might apply to this opportunity?” 5 - “What comes to mind when you think of taking this responsibility?” 6 - “I know it’s \*easier\* for me to do it. But it’s \*better\* for you to do it.”    #### About the author Niels Hardam [Follow me on my website](https://esul.org/blog/www.esul.org) [Follow me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielshardam/) ESUL Founder. His expertise is coaching you through quick expansion and scale-up, by focusing on the balance of People and Processes. 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