But They Have So Much Potential…
By VICKY BROWN
Every small business owner eventually faces a moment they don’t want to talk about – the moment when you realize you’re holding onto someone who isn’t actually performing. Not because they lack talent. Not because they’re unwilling. But because you’ve been measuring them by their potential instead of their results.
That phrase – “But they have so much potential…” – shows up quietly at first. It sneaks into your thoughts when you’re trying to justify why things feel off. It comes up when you’re explaining to your bookkeeper why payroll is rising even though output isn’t. And it becomes louder when you’re trying to convince yourself that the next month will be different, even though the last twelve were exactly the same.
This isn’t a failure of leadership. It’s a very human reaction. Most of us didn’t start our businesses because we wanted to manage people. We wanted to build something meaningful. And along the way, we hired with heart. We rooted for people. We saw pieces of ourselves in them. And we held onto the story of who we hoped they might become.
But potential, by itself, is not a performance metric.
Why We Hold On Too Long
Small business leadership is personal. The stakes are high. The team is small. Every person matters. And because of that, it’s easy to fall into a kind of emotional loyalty – the kind where you feel responsible for someone’s progress, even when progress isn’t happening.
We tell ourselves a lot of comforting stories:
They’re still learning.
They’re trying.
They’re smart.
They mean well.
They’ll get there eventually.
And while all of those things may be true, none of them guarantee outcomes. None of them move the work forward. None of them help you meet a deadline or deliver a client project or keep the business healthy.
Trying is admirable, but trying is not the same as delivering.
The Difference Between Growing Someone and Carrying Someone
Leadership absolutely includes development. Coaching. Feedback. Support. People deserve the chance to grow, and most will, if given the right structure and direction.
But there’s a big difference between someone who is growing and someone you’re carrying.
Growing someone means they take the feedback you give and do something with it. You see change. You see progress, even if it’s slow. There’s momentum, and you don’t feel like you’re pushing a boulder uphill all by yourself.
Carrying someone, on the other hand, feels heavy. You’re the one rewriting expectations. You’re the one buffering their missteps. You’re the one checking behind them and adjusting your own workload to compensate. You start to feel a little anxious every time you hand over a task, because you already know how this story ends.
Your body knows before your brain admits it. The sigh before assigning work. The tightness in your shoulders when they miss another deadline. The hesitation before you delegate. These are all signals – and they’re important ones.
The Hidden Cost of Avoiding the Truth
This part rarely gets talked about, but it might be the most important: when you keep someone in a role they can’t succeed in, the whole business pays the price.
You feel it first. Your energy drops because you’re carrying too much. You’re doing their job and yours.
Then your strongest people feel it. They start picking up the slack, often without saying a word – until they eventually do. And when they see you making exceptions for someone who isn’t meeting expectations, it chips away at their trust.
Clients feel it next. The wobble. The inconsistency. The delays.
And the business itself slows down. Projects get stuck. Opportunities get pushed aside because you don’t have the capacity to take them on. Culture starts to weaken because everyone sees what’s happening – even when no one says it out loud.
Avoidance has a cost. And that cost grows quietly.
“… You find yourself hoping for “not a disaster” instead of excellence.“
How You Know You’ve Reached the Turning Point
Every leader knows the moment. It may show up as a stomach drop, a wave of exhaustion, or a quiet thought you try to push away. But it doesn’t go away.
You usually know it’s time when:
You’re coaching more than they’re delivering.
You’re repeating the same feedback again and again.
You’ve redesigned the role to make it easier – and it’s still not working.
You hesitate every time you delegate.
You find yourself hoping for “not a disaster” instead of excellence.
You’re more anxious about giving feedback than they are about receiving it.
This isn’t about being harsh. It’s about being honest. If you’ve provided clarity, resources, support, and time – and nothing has changed – then you’re not looking at potential anymore. You’re looking at a plateau.
And a plateau in a small business is never neutral. It always has a cost.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur jumping into a leadership role, a seasoned business pro with new HR responsibilities, or just starting your HR career – we’ve got the right path to guide you through your HR hurdles.
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Letting Go Isn’t Cruel – It’s Responsible
Letting someone go is one of the hardest decisions you’ll make as a business owner. Not because you don’t know what needs to happen, but because it feels personal. And because it forces you to take responsibility for the truth.
But keeping someone in a role where they cannot succeed is far more harmful than letting them go.
They’re not thriving.
You’re not thriving.
Your team is absorbing the consequences in silence.
Ending the relationship – respectfully, clearly, and professionally – gives both sides the chance to move forward. They may thrive somewhere else. They may need a different pace or environment. And you get the space to hire someone who actually meets the needs of the business as it is today.
If You’re Facing This Right Now
If reading this brings up a knot in your stomach, it probably means you’re already doing the emotional math. You’ve tried. You’ve invested. You’ve hoped. But hope isn’t a plan, and loyalty isn’t a strategy.
You’re allowed to make a different decision now.
You’re allowed to protect your energy, your business, and your team.
You’re allowed to move on.
Sometimes leadership means letting go of who you hoped someone could be, so you can make room for who the business actually needs.