077 | Why Your Team Keeps Waiting (and What to Do About It as a CEO)

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Let me tell you about a moment that happens in Zoom rooms every day. A founder hears five words that make her stomach drop: “I’m waiting to hear back.”

It doesn’t matter if you’re leading five people or fifty — when your team treats “I sent the email” like a finish line, you’re not building a business, you’re babysitting bottlenecks.

This episode isn’t about productivity hacks — it’s about culture. Specifically, the invisible “wait and see” culture draining your company’s momentum. And here’s the hard truth: it’s not really about your team. It’s about you. Let’s talk about what to do instead.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• Two quick questions that flip passive waiting into active problem-solving
• How to model radical ownership so your team shifts from message senders to outcome creators
• Why relentless momentum isn’t a solo trait, it should be your team’s standard

This episode at a glance:

“You didn’t wait for permission to start your business. So why are you letting your team wait for replies?”

“Every time your team says ‘I’m waiting,’ and you say nothing, you’re normalizing inertia.”

“It’s not about control — it’s about building a culture that moves.”

“Ask: What do you think is happening on their end? Then: What would make them respond faster? That’s how you build thinkers, not just doers.”

“Your team isn’t failing you. They’re following you. Set a better pace.”

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Free Culture Audit Call 
•  Join the AI for Founders Community 
• 10 Ways AI Will Make You a Better Leader – Free Guide

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “She's That Founder” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

Episode Transcript

Dawn Andrews (00:02):
Hey, friends, I need to tell you about a moment
that happens in meeting roomsand zooms across the world.
Every single day, a founder sitsat the head of the table or in
their little, tiny zoom box, andsomeone on their team says five
words that makes their stomachdrop.
I'm waiting to hear back,and in that split second, I can
see it in a founder's eyes thisflash of disappointment before
they nod and move on to the nextagenda item, because they know

(00:24):
deep down that this isn't whatbuilding a company was supposed
to feel like. So if you've everfelt that pang of frustration
when your team treats I sent anemail like crossing a finish
line, this episode is for you,because what I'm about to share
isn't just about productivity,it's about the invisible culture
you've accidentally built that'sbleeding your company's momentum

(00:45):
dry, and the uncomfortable truthnot really about your team. It's
about you.
Welcome to she's thatfounder the show for ambitious
women ready to lead with clarityand scale with confidence. I'm
Dawn Andrews, businessstrategist and executive coach.
Today we're talking about thesilent cost of I'll wait, and
why the ball should never leaveyour court, even when you're

(01:09):
running a team of 50 and beyond.
Hey, founder, Dawn Andrews, hereI am coming to you from a hotel
room where I have booked a solofounder corporate retreat for
myself, and this is one of therecording times that I've booked
out to be able to talk to youjust a little bit.
This is aletter to you today. I have a

(01:31):
particular founder in mind, butI think you might find yourself
in what I'm sharing. So here yougo, my dear founder, I saw
something in your eyes the lasttime someone on your team said,
I'm waiting to hear back, thatfleeting shadow of
disappointment before you noddedand moved on. This is you
working with your team,expecting them to come through

(01:52):
for you, and them pausingbecause they're saying, I'm
waiting to hear back. So youdidn't say it at the time, but I
know what you were thinking.
This isn't what building thiscompany was supposed to feel
like. So let's talk, just youand me, my founder friend, about
what's really happening whenyour team adopts that wait and

(02:15):
see approach to execution.
Remember when you started yourcompany, you didn't wait for
permission. Girl, I know youdidn't. You didn't wait for
perfect conditions. You sure ashell didn't wait for someone to
email you back before taking thenext step. You were unstoppable,
or your business would not existlike it does today. That
relentless forward motion is nowbuilt into your DNA, it's why

(02:39):
you succeed and why others stallout.
But something happens as webuild teams, we accidentally
normalize a different set ofstandards than the ones we hold
for ourselves. We accept. I sentthe email as a milestone, rather

(03:00):
than recognizing it as merelythe opening of a conversation,
and I want to tell you somethingnow that might be hard to hear,
this isn't really about yourteam. It's about you, your
company has developed a culturethat sees responsibility as
transferable, whereaccountability can be handed off
with a click of the send button.
And cultures don't form byaccident. They're shaped by the

(03:23):
leaders who consistently rewardand tolerate those behaviors. So
the truth Your silence whensomeone says I'm waiting to hear
back is interpreted asacceptance. Whew, yeah, how
about that? So what if tomorrow,you had a vulnerable

(03:46):
conversation with your teamabout this? What if you shared
how you never actually feel likethe ball leaves your court until
results are achieved? What ifyou modeled what taking radical
ownership looks like inpractice.
In reality, this isn'tabout cracking a whip or
demanding superhuman effort.

(04:09):
It's about reframing how yourteam sees their fundamental
relationship with results. Whensomeone says they're waiting for
a response, try asking, What doyou think is happening on their
end right now, this simplequestion shifts perspective from
passive waiting to activeempathy and helping your team
members to understand why delayshappen and how to navigate
around them, because that's whatwe're going for.

(04:30):
And then if youfollow up with that question
with if you were in their shoes,what would make you respond
quickly? This builds strategicthinking for your team members,
rather than reactive, waitingjust two simple questions that
can totally shift how your teamis responding and moving forward
with your initiatives. The magichappens when your team starts to

(04:51):
see themselves, not as messagesenders, but as outcome
creators, the getterdunners,when they realize that every
silence. Every delay, everyroadblock, is actually
information they can use to plota new path forward. That's
pretty cool, right?
So thistransformation starts with you
being honest about the standardsyou've always held yourself to,

(05:12):
but perhaps haven't explicitlytransferred to your team. Your
company deserves the samerelentless momentum that fueled
your earliest days. What wouldyour company look like 12 months
from now? If everybody wasplaying that game, your team is
capable of it. They just needyou to expectantly hold that
space until it becomes theirnatural operating system. The

(05:35):
ball has never left your courtas a founder, maybe it's time
your entire organizationoperated with that same
conviction.
So what do you thinkyou ready to have that
conversation tomorrow? So thatwas some real, real talk. Yes,
you know that that's whatThursdays are about. Here at
she's that founder. So here'swhat I want you to do right now.

(05:57):
Before this episode ends and youget distracted by your next
meeting. Think about your lastteam meeting. Or one on one
check in, how many times didsomeone say, I'm waiting to hear
back? Or some version of that,once, twice, five times.
Now,imagine if every single one of
those people had a concrete planfor what happens next,

(06:17):
regardless of if they get aresponse that they're already
starting to think 123, stepsahead. How would that change
your execution speed in yourbusiness? Look, I know this
isn't easy. Shifting culturenever is, but I've seen what
happens when founders finallymake this shift, and it is
transformative.
So if you'reready to stop accepting I sent

(06:38):
the email as progress and startbuilding a team that operates
with the same relentlessmomentum. I want to help. I'm
offering a free 30 minuteculture audit call where we'll
identify exactly where thewaiting game is showing up in
your organization and create aspecific plan to eliminate it.
No pitch, no upsell, just you meand a clear path to faster

(07:02):
execution. Go to dawnandrews.com forward slash audit
to grab your spot. There areonly five slots available this
month, and they go fast, andthis will not be available
forever and ever. This is likefor those of you that are hot on
top of downloading the newepisodes as they come, because
this offer will close within onemonth.

(07:24):
Here's the thing, yourcompany deserves the same
unstoppable energy that got youstarted and your team is capable
of it. They just need you toshow them how. So stop waiting
for permission, stop waiting forperfect conditions. Stop waiting
for someone to email you back.
The ball is in your court. Italways has been. So now go use
it, sending you big hugs andlove. Have the very best day,

(07:48):
and I'll catch you in the nextepisode.
If today's episode gaveyou clarity, courage or just a
deep exhale, hit that followbutton, leave a review or send
this to a founder friend whoneeds to hear it. Come join us
inside AI for founders, aprivate community on LinkedIn.

(08:08):
You don't need more bandwidth.
You need better systems, and youcan totally create them with
ease, on the fly in motion whileyou are scaling your business.