The owner was away for two weeks. Nothing broke.

A fortnight tests the decisions a business makes weekly and none of the ones it makes twice a year, which is where most owner dependency hides.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for The owner was away for two weeks. Nothing broke.

The two-week holiday is the standard test of whether a business can run without its owner. It is a comforting test, and it is close to worthless, because it is calibrated to the wrong frequency. A fortnight exercises every decision the business makes daily or weekly. It exercises almost nothing the business makes quarterly or annually. And it is precisely the low-frequency decisions that tend to sit with the owner, because they were never repetitive enough to systematise. Consider what actually recurs inside two weeks: job scheduling, quoting routine work,…

Keep reading for free

Create an account to read the rest.

The whole library is free. No card, no subscription, no trial that quietly ends. An account simply lets us know who we are writing for, and opens every article from here on.

  • Every article, in full, at no cost
  • New articles published every weekday
  • Takes about twenty seconds
Create a free account I already have one

Free means free. We will not charge you for the library, and you can read as much of it as you like.

Important: General information only. Rialto Bridge articles describe patterns and considerations that may apply to a business; they are not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice, and they take no account of your particular circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a qualified professional before acting.

More on Leadership

Scroll to Top