In this solo episode, Elizabeth Ledoux tackles one of the biggest challenges in business transition: moving from being in complete control to sharing decision-making with your successor.

Elizabeth explains that while business owners often get labeled as "control freaks," control is usually rooted in care for others—protecting employees, family members, and the business itself. However, without a plan to gradually shift from control to collaboration, owners often get burnt out or stuck with nowhere to go.

The key insight? The best transitions are journeys, not events. Rather than a sudden handoff of control, successful transitions involve a gradual shift where successors can learn to lead before they have to dive in completely.

Key topics covered include:

• Why control is often rooted in care, not ego
• The dangers of sudden control handoffs versus gradual transitions
• How trust builds over time through collaboration
• The mindset shift from "I make the decisions" to "we're building this future together"
• Why starting early gives you the gift of time for both owner and successor development
• The biggest mistake owners make: waiting too long to involve others
• How to collaborate without making premature promises

Elizabeth emphasizes that collaboration requires time—successors need experience and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to decisions, and owners need time to develop confidence in their successors.

Chapters in this episode:

00:00 Introduction to Control vs Collaboration

02:30 Why Control is Often Rooted in Care

05:15 The Problems with Sudden Control Handoffs

08:45 Building Trust Through Gradual Transition

12:20 The Mindset Shift: Building the Future Together

16:30 Why Starting Early Gives You the Gift of Time

20:15 The Biggest Mistake: Waiting Too Long

23:45 How to Collaborate Without Making Promises

26:30 Invitation to Discovery Call

Connect with Elizabeth Ledoux and the Transition Strategists:

Website: https://transitionstrategists.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetransitionstrategists

Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethledoux/

Transition Strategists on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/transitionstrategists/

Transition Strategists on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@transitionstrategists

Subscribe to "The Business Transition Roadmap with Elizabeth Ledoux" on your favorite podcast player:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3MxSYA2

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IhMMux

Get Elizabeth Ledoux and Laura Chiesman's latest book, "It's A Journey: The MUST-HAVE Roadmap to Successful Succession Planning": https://amzn.to/3oq2LQv

Ready to explore what a collaborative transition could look like? Schedule a discovery call: https://transitionstrategists.com/discovery