If you’re like many founders, you hired an operations-focused person with the hope that they would take things off your plate, free you from the day-to-day, and give you more time to focus on the big-picture.
In fact, they probably assured you that this is what would happen.
Instead, you find yourself just as involved in the business as before.
I hear this all the time from founders:
"I thought hiring an operations person would get me out of the day-to-day, but I’m still in the weeds. What went wrong?"
The truth?
Most ops hires aren’t actually trained to operate at the level you need.
Now, this isn't a knock on them.
They’re organized, talented, and productive. In a lot of ways, you probably love having them as part of your team and can't imagine your team without them.
But the challenge is that if they’ve only been trained to manage workflows, build SOPs, and keep things running efficiently, then they’ll always function as an implementer, not a strategic leader...
And that’s why you’re still stuck:
- Making all the decisions
- Solving all the problems
- Holding the vision and strategy for growth
- Feeling like everything would fall apart without you
What You Actually Need in an Ops Leader
Hiring an ops person is a great first step - but most aren’t set up to actually free you from the business.
A true strategic ops leader doesn’t just keep things organized, they:
- Think ahead of you, not just follow direction – they proactively identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and growth blockers before they become a problem
- Connect operations with scalability – they ensure the business has the ecosystem to scale profitably without breaking the delivery model
- Lead teams and initiatives, not just manage them – they build high-performing teams, drive accountability, and hold your vision for scaling
This is what makes it possible for you to actually get out of the day to day.
But most ops leaders have never been trained to do this...
Why Most Ops Leaders Aren’t Set Up for Success
The issue isn’t their potential, drive, or intention...
Most ops leaders are some of the smartest and hardest working people who are fully committed to you and your business's success.
It’s their lack of training in high-level operational strategy and scaling.
I’ve been scaling businesses for over three decades, and I can tell you firsthand - very few people actually understand sustainable scaling.
Most ops leaders believe they know how to scale just because they’ve:
- Run a successful launch
- Implemented a CRM or automated workflows
- Built SOPs or implemented a playbook
These are all important, but... these are execution skills, not sustainable scaling strategies.
Scaling a business is about building an entire ecosystem that supports scalable growth without over-relying on the founder.
And while some have learned "on the job" trying to piece different experiences together into something repeatable, very few have ever been trained to or understand how to do that effectively.
The Solution: Train Your Ops Leader or Hire One Who’s Already Certified
If your business is at the point where you need a true operator - someone who can not only run the business but also create the ecosystem for scalable growth - you have two choices:
1. Train the ops person you already have:
Most ops hires have the potential to be a strategic leader, but they need the right frameworks, leadership development, and scaling strategies to step into that role. Often, the best investment you can make is giving them the training and mentorship to transition from an operational leader to a Strategy and Operations Leader (SOL) and be able to lead at the next level.
2. Hire someone who’s already trained:
If you don’t have time to develop your current ops team, I can match you with a certified Strategy and Operations Leader (SOL) who is already trained and mentored on strategy and scalability and ready to step in and lead.
Because if you don't do one of these 2 things, you will remain stuck in the day to day with more and more falling on your shoulders as you scale.
This is exactly why I created the Strategic Ops Institute's certification and training programs - to bridge this gap.
If you want your ops leader to truly free you from the day-to-day and drive sustainable growth, send them through the program.
Or if you need someone already trained, I can connect you with the right hire, whether full time, fractional, or project-based.
👉 Learn more about training and hiring options here.
Scaling successfully takes so much more than expanding your profits and impact - it’s about having the right ecosystem for scalable growth with the right operator to lead it and get you out of the day to day.
Let’s make that happen!
by Crista Grasso
Crista Grasso is the Founder of the Strategic Ops Institute and the Lean Out Method, and host of the Lean Out Your Business Podcast. She specializes in training and certifying exceptional Operational Leaders to become Strategy + Operations Leaders (SOLs) and become experts at simplifying, streamlining, and sustainably scaling businesses.
