Hiring A General Manager Won't Save You.

Hiring a General Manager is usually the last step small business owners take when things get overwhelming. 

“I just need someone to run this.”

“If I could get out of the weeds, everything would fall into place.”

I’ve seen burned out owners hire a GM before they were ready, hoping to disappear and then experience the crushing disappointment when nothing changes. 

It usually starts like this:

Owner is drowning in decisions and task management.

The team depends on them for everything.

They haven’t taken time off for years.

Business growth is stalled and they are exhausted. 

They hire a GM that sounds like a rockstar, thinking they are going to build the structure themselves and the owner is finally going to get that breather. One of two things happen if the business isn’t ready for this additional layer of leadership:

1. The owner hands the reins over and starts stepping back. They may get a couple months of freedom but suddenly, things start falling apart again and they are spending even more time in the business. They are back to square one and wonder if they made the right hiring decision. 
2. The owner continues making all final decisions because they don’t trust the system. Employees are confused on when to report to the owner or the GM causing contradicting priorities, rework, and sinking morale. The GM is stuck managing chaos without true authority. The owner is resentful they are still involved.

In both scenarios, culture degrades and employees lose trust in leadership, deeply impacting productivity, the business's reputation, customers, and ultimately the bottom line. 

What most small business owners don’t realize when they make this decision from a place of desperation instead of intention is:

A GM doesn’t fix unclear vision. 

A GM doesn’t replace leadership presence.

A GM doesn’t magically create accountability.

“A General Manager doesn’t remove you from the business, they are a mirror and amplifier of your leadership.”

Leah Omar

Founder, Untethered Boss

Hiring a high level employee must be an intentional leadership decision with structure to support it. It takes time, small shifts, and leadership growth from the owner. 

Hiring a GM too early is common, costly, and preventable.

Signs You’re Ready to Hire a GM (And Signs You’re Not …Yet)

1. You’re clear on outcomes, not just tasks

You can articulate what success looks like for the role beyond “take things off my plate.” You know which decisions should live with a GM and which stay with you.

Why it matters: GMs fail when they’re hired into ambiguity.

2. The business runs on systems, not heroics

Your operations don’t rely on you constantly stepping in to fix, translate, or rescue. Processes may not be perfect, but they exist and are followed.

Why it matters: A GM manages systems, they don’t replace them.

3. You’re willing to stay involved at a higher altitude

You’re ready to lead through strategy, alignment, and accountability, not daily problem-solving. You understand this is a leadership shift, not a step back.

Why it matters: A GM doesn’t eliminate leadership, they optimize it.

4. You can let someone make decisions you wouldn’t make

You value judgment and outcomes over control and preference. You’re open to “different but effective.”

Why it matters: If a GM has to think like you to be trusted, they’re not really a GM.

5. You’ve addressed obvious performance issues

You’re not hiring a GM to manage underperformers you’ve avoided dealing with. The team isn’t perfect but it’s stable and accountable.

Why it matters: A GM can lead a team. They can’t fix avoidance.

6. You’re prepared to invest time before you get time back

You understand this role requires onboarding, trust-building, and calibration before it creates relief.

Why it matters: The ROI is real but not immediate.

Signs You’re Not Ready… Yet

• You want a GM to “handle people” so you don’t have to
• You can’t clearly define decision rights
• You’re still the bottleneck in basic operations
• You’re hoping the hire will create structure instead of operate within it
• You’re burned out and looking for immediate relief
  
  

These signs don’t mean “don’t hire.” They simply mean build first.

The Leadership Shift That Makes a GM Work

Strong leaders that successfully step away from the day to day operations have made several powerful shifts. They understand they are more useful steering the ship, designing the vision, and growing the business instead of controlling every decision at a micro level. 

They understand they no longer need to be the problem solvers, but instead are dedicated to coaching and growing leaders within their teams.

They don’t react with urgency, they move with intentional leadership.

If you know how to empower your team with decision-making authority and how to grow leaders from within, a GM can seamlessly integrate into that system and expand it, giving you the space you need to rest or strategize.

Pause and Reflect

Before you close this tab and jump back into the day-to-day, pause here. This isn’t about adding more to your plate, it's about noticing where your attention is required to make a change.

Have I defined what success looks like without me?

Am I willing to release control and ownership, not just tasks?

Does my team know who owns what without my presence? 

Am I leading through clarity or proximity?

Answering yes to these questions defines the system you will be able to trust when you are ready to step back. The system has to come first. 

The Freedom You’re Actually Seeking

A General Manager is simply a person, not the magic solution to all your problems. GM’s merely amplify your leadership and structure. The first step is to define WHY you want a GM. For most owners it’s rooted in rest, freedom, trust, and a business that doesn’t fall apart when you step away.

This is the work I guide business owners through. Not hiring someone to save them, but becoming the leader their business is ready to scale with.

Learn more here.