Build with Leila Hormozi: Episode 251 - "You're Responsible For The Skill On Your Team (But Not The Will)"

Release Date: March 12, 2025
Host: Leila Hormozi
Title: You're Responsible For The Skill On Your Team (But Not The Will)

Introduction

In Episode 251 of Build with Leila Hormozi, host Leila Hormozi delves deep into the crucial distinction between fostering skills within a team and managing their intrinsic motivation. The episode features insightful conversations with entrepreneurs facing scaling challenges, offering actionable strategies to build resilient, high-performing businesses. Leila emphasizes the importance of focusing on skill development while recognizing that motivation ultimately lies with each individual.

Key Discussions

1. Responsibility for Skill vs. Will

Leila kicks off the episode by asserting a foundational principle in team management:

“You're responsible for skill. You're not responsible for will."
— Leila Hormozi [00:02]

She emphasizes that as a leader, her role is to ensure her team is well-trained and equipped with the necessary skills, but she cannot control their personal motivation or willingness to perform. This mindset shift is pivotal for sustainable business growth.

2. Brandon Dion: Scaling an Online Guitar School

Background:
Brandon Dion owns an online guitar school, generating $1.2 million in 2024, with aspirations to scale to $5-10 million.

Challenges & Insights:
Brandon sought advice on niching down, feeling confident in his target audience but noticing discrepancies in customer alignment.

“I discovered that I was in stage four of the roadmap... I don't do sales calls."
— Brandon Dion [00:40]

Leila's Advice:
Leila guided Brandon to refine his marketing strategies to attract more high lifetime value (LTV) customers while filtering out less ideal ones. She stressed the importance of clear messaging across all customer touchpoints to align with the ideal avatar, thereby enhancing business returns.

“If you only focused on getting more of the people who had the highest lifetime value, then you would get better returns on your business.”
— Leila Hormozi [02:03]

3. Alyssa Yahya London: Scaling to $10 Million

Background:
Alyssa Gibson runs a training program for multi-level marketers, achieving $1.75 million in revenue and aiming for $10 million.

Challenges & Insights:
Alyssa faces the dilemma of retaining top sales talent, strengthening her administrative team, and extending customer LTV without burning out her team or compromising her leadership style.

Leila's Advice:
Leila shared pivotal mindset shifts for Alyssa, including:

• Letting Go of Control:

  “You can have control or you can have growth, but you cannot have both.”
  — Leila Hormozi [08:05]

• Becoming a Master Trainer: Focus on training the team rather than micromanaging, viewing challenges as skill deficits rather than personal shortcomings.

• Transparency and Accountability: Communicate openly with the team about leadership challenges and encourage feedback to foster a culture of mutual growth.

“It's about a skill deficit rather than a problem with them.”
— Leila Hormozi [11:25]

4. Jen (Berkeley): Scaling a Toy Company

Background:
Jen leads a toy company generating $1 million annually, primarily through direct-to-consumer markets in Utah, and seeks to scale to $10 million.

Challenges & Insights:
Jen struggles with expanding beyond existing markets due to seasonal limitations and considers enhancing her online presence as a viable strategy.

“Doing more of what already works feels hard because everything is new.”
— Jen [28:47]

Leila's Advice:
Leila encouraged Jen to optimize and scale her current successful channels before venturing into new territories. She suggested:

• Maximizing Website and Social Media:
  Increase content output and explore additional platforms to drive traffic and sales without immediately expanding geographically.

• Testing Minimal Viable Strategies:
  Implement low-effort tests to validate new approaches before fully committing resources.

“You can test things in order of they will give you the highest return with the lowest effort.”
— Layla [30:10]

5. Emily Gibson: Overcoming a Hero Complex and Self-Sabotage

Background:
Emily Gibson manages contact center services for colleges, maintaining consistent $2 million sales but seeking a $21 million exit. She grapples with a hero complex and self-sabotaging behaviors during critical sales moments.

Challenges & Insights:
Emily exhibits procrastination in preparation, leading to last-minute efforts that either result in success or failure, impacting her leadership credibility.

“It's affecting my ability to coach. It's like, if I'm kind of all over the place, then, like, how can I coach you?”
— Emily Gibson [37:14]

Leila's Advice:
Leila provided Emily with strategies to break the cycle of self-sabotage:

• Accountability Partners:
  Engaging someone close to hold her accountable for preparations and processes.

• Addressing Underlying Issues:
  Understanding the emotional drivers behind self-sabotaging behaviors to create sustainable change.

• Immediate Action Plans:
  Encouraging Emily to implement actionable steps, such as involving her executive assistant (EA) in accountability measures.

“Figure out what's good about you doing this and what you're avoiding, then attack that.”
— Layla Hormozi [37:30]

Key Insights and Strategies

• Focus on Skill Development:
  Leaders should prioritize training and equipping their teams with the necessary skills, recognizing that motivation hinges on individual willingness.

• Refine Target Audiences:
  Clearly defining and attracting high LTV customers can significantly enhance business profitability and reduce noise from less ideal clients.

• Let Go of Control for Growth:
  Scaling businesses often require leaders to relinquish micromanagement and foster a culture of empowerment and continuous learning within their teams.

• Optimize Existing Channels Before Expanding:
  Maximizing the potential of current successful sales channels can provide a stable foundation for future growth without the complexities of branching out prematurely.

• Implement Accountability Mechanisms:
  Establishing systems of accountability can help overcome self-sabotaging behaviors and ensure consistent performance and preparation.

Notable Quotes

• Leila Hormozi on Responsibility:

  “You're responsible to ensure that I have put every process in place. I’ve trained on everything. I have drilled people so they can have the skill.”
  [00:02]

• Brandon Dion on Team Dynamics:

  “It's only a problem if people buy and then have a very low lifetime value and complain.”
  [03:59]

• Leila on Leadership Mindset:

  “You can have control or you can have growth, but you cannot have both.”
  [08:05]

• Leila on Authentic Branding:

  “If you fake your brand and you fake who you are and you pretend to be more feminine or more masculine or more this, and then you end up having a business built off a brand that you don't even love, that would be a worse scenario.”
  [19:18]

• Emily Gibson on Self-Sabotage:

  “I'll get six really hot deals in the sales pipeline... but then I find myself doing things like preparing right before the call instead of being prepared early.”
  [34:47]

Conclusion

Episode 251 of Build with Leila Hormozi offers a wealth of knowledge for entrepreneurs aiming to scale their businesses effectively. Leila underscores the significance of developing team skills while acknowledging the limits of influencing their motivation. Through real-life examples and strategic advice, listeners gain practical insights into refining target audiences, enhancing team training, and overcoming personal barriers to growth. This episode serves as a valuable guide for building resilient, scalable, and authentic businesses.