The hardest work for founders isn’t what you think.

It’s not the vision. It’s not the strategy.

It’s uncomfortable conversations.

Conversations that:

• Set clear agreements.

• Measure results.

• Build trust and accountability.

Successful teams are built by:

1. Explaining results clearly.

2. Setting specific deadlines.

3. Following up consistently.

In my first business, I had a bad habit of dumping ideas on my team. I’d say things like:

“We need to automate client training right away. Let’s create an online library with everything we’ve learned.”

Urgent. Vague. No map. No timeline. No follow-up.

Why do we avoid follow-up?

Sometimes it’s because we’re unsure how to do it but feel like we should know. Other times, it’s because:

• We’re afraid it’s not done.

• We don’t want to fix it.

• We want to avoid feeling awkward.

So we abdicate instead of lead. We toss a Hail Mary pass and hope for the best.

We don’t measure progress. We don’t follow through.

And what happens?

Our team learns follow-up doesn’t matter.

So they:

• Don’t start.

• Don’t finish.

• Deliver half-baked work.

Here’s the shift:

Care enough about your team to have the conversations that will help them succeed.

1. Explain the results you want in detail.

2. Ask them to repeat it back to confirm understanding.

3. Set the deadline together.

4. Follow up as promised.

If it’s not done correctly, address the agreement, not the personality.

Evaluate results together:

• Did they misunderstand?

• Did they avoid taking action?

It’s not personal. It’s objective.

This is how you create a culture of accountability.

Most people want to succeed. Your job is to help them.