Stop the Confusion—Train Your Team to Think Like You Do
- Sarah Beth Herman
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Written by Sarah Beth Herman, CEO & Mentor to Legacy Leaders
Here’s something I wish more leaders would say out loud: Most miscommunication in business doesn’t happen because your team is lazy or disengaged. It happens because they don’t know how you think. you give a task. they complete it. and what comes back isn’t wrong—it’s just… not quite what you pictured. you feel frustrated. They feel nervous. and suddenly, everyone’s walking on eggshells.
But here’s the truth no one taught us early on: your team can’t read your mind. And unless you’ve built a system where your thought process becomes part of your culture, you’ll always be stuck cleaning up the pieces of confusion.
Communication Isn’t Clarity
We talk a lot about communication in leadership. But clarity? That’s next level.
Clarity is what separates businesses that constantly put out fires from the ones that build empires with peace, purpose, and longevity.
And clarity doesn’t come from repeating yourself louder.
It comes from training people how to think.
Train People to Think, Not Just Execute
If you're leading a growing business, you've likely already learned this the hard way:
Most people are trained in task execution. But what will change your business is training people in thought process alignment.
Here’s what that looks like in real time:
Task-Based Thinking | Strategic Thinking |
“Send that email.” | “Use our engagement template, but personalize it for that client’s last conversation.” |
“Reschedule the meeting.” | “Move it to next week, avoid overlapping with our sprint planning, and make sure the director is available.” |
“Launch the ad.” | “Double-check that the link is correct, the CTA matches our current promo, and it's segmented for our warm audience.” |
One is task-doing. The other is ownership.
You can’t scale with people who only take orders. you scale with people who think with you.
The Gray Area Is Where Growth Slows Down
Think about this: most of the breakdown in your business doesn’t happen in the black-and-white moments. It happens in the gray.
The gray is where things get delayed. Where time gets wasted. Where money starts to leak.
Someone misunderstood a tone, skipped a step, assumed you meant one thing when you meant another.
And what began as a single task has now created a ripple effect through your entire organization.
That’s the cost of unclear leadership.
What You Can Do Without Overhauling Everything
You don’t need to rewrite your entire leadership system to fix this. you just need to start inserting clarity in small, powerful ways.
1. Use “If, then” Logic Every Time You Delegate
Before you assign a task, ask yourself: Where could this go off track?
Then add a simple instruction like this: “Send the welcome email. If they don’t open in 24 hours, follow up with the text template.”
You just eliminated four back-and-Forths and gave someone permission to move without micromanagement.
2. Build “How We Think” Playbooks
Skip the 20-page SOPs that nobody reads. Create 1-page decision trees or guides that reflect how you approach key scenarios.
Examples:
“How We Follow Up with Cold Leads”
“How We Escalate Internal Issues”
“How We Respond to Difficult Clients with Authority and Grace”
These are cultural blueprints, not just procedural tools. They show your team how you think, not just what to do.
3. End Every Task with This Line:
“Let me know if anything about this feels unclear.”
This one phrase opens the door for questions without making anyone feel small. It invites partnership over performance anxiety.
The Leadership Standard Shift
The old model of leadership said: “If I have to explain it, I’ll just do it myself.”
The new model says: “If I can explain it once, I’ll never have to do it alone again.”
If you want people who solve problems instead of waiting for directions, you have to build a company where thinking is part of the training.
You don’t need followers. You need thinkers. You need decision-makers. you need people who carry the vision with you.
For the Founder Who’s Still Holding Too Much
You’ve built something powerful. And now you're in the space between “I can do it all” and “I can’t grow unless I let go.”
Let me speak directly to you:
You're not failing because you're tired. You're tired because you’re still making every decision. Still explaining the same task five different ways. Still assuming everyone should “just get it.”
But assumptions are what keep you stuck in founder mode.
Visionaries don’t scale by doing more. They scale by thinking better—and teaching others how to think with them.
Start Small, Think Big
This week, pick one recurring task in your business. Then walk someone through it using your “if, then” logic. Add a note that shows what success looks like. Then ask for a one-sentence confirmation before they begin.
That’s not micromanaging. That’s closing the loop.
That’s how culture gets built intentionally.
That’s how scale becomes sustainable.
Ready to Hear What Happens When It Goes Sideways?
I recorded a new episode of No Silver Spoons that tells the real story of a time I didn’t do any of this… and paid for it.
It’s honest. It’s humbling. And it changed how I lead forever.
You’ll hear how one Microsoft Teams message, a missed expectation, and a weekend grill project taught me more about leadership than any business book ever could. If this blog helped you think, the episode will help you change.
Final Word
You can keep running everything on instinct. Or you can build a business that runs because your instincts were transferred with clarity.
Legacy businesses aren’t built by perfect people. They’re built by leaders who were willing to slow down, teach, and elevate everyone around them. If that’s you—and I believe it is—then today’s a great day to build something better.
One clear task at a time.
One green flag at a time.
One thought partner at a time.
🎧 Referenced Episode:
No Silver Spoons – Closing the Loop: Mastering Task Delegation and Reception for Effective Collaboration
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Readers should consult with appropriate professionals for specific advice tailored to their circumstances. All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of information and references; however, errors may occur. If you notice any inaccuracies or would like to suggest updates, please contact us at hey@sarahbethherman.com. © 2025 Sarah Beth Herman. All Rights Reserved. By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. This post may contain affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through them. References included where known. Please email hey@sarahbethherman.com to report missing attributions or inaccuracies.
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