She's That Founder: Business Strategy, Time Management and AI Magic for Impactful Female Leaders

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

• Dawn Andrews • Season 2 • Episode 77

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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:

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.

Dawn Andrews:

Hey, friends, I need to tell you about a moment that happens in meeting rooms and zooms across the world. Every single day, a founder sits at the head of the table or in their little, tiny zoom box, and someone on their team says five words that makes their stomach drop.

Dawn Andrews:

I'm waiting to hear back, and in that split second, I can see it in a founder's eyes this flash of disappointment before they nod and move on to the next agenda item, because they know deep down that this isn't what building a company was supposed to feel like. So if you've ever felt that pang of frustration when your team treats I sent an email 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's bleeding your company's momentum dry, and the uncomfortable truth not really about your team. It's about you. Welcome to she's that founder the show for ambitious women ready to lead with clarity and scale with confidence. I'm Dawn Andrews, business strategist and executive coach. Today we're talking about the silent cost of I'll wait, and why the ball should never leave your court, even when you're running a team of 50 and beyond. Hey, founder, Dawn Andrews, here I am coming to you from a hotel room where I have booked a solo founder corporate retreat for myself, and this is one of the recording times that I've booked out to be able to talk to you just a little bit.

Dawn Andrews:

This is a letter to you today. I have a particular founder in mind, but I think you might find yourself in what I'm sharing. So here you go, my dear founder, I saw something in your eyes the last time someone on your team said, I'm waiting to hear back, that fleeting shadow of disappointment before you nodded and moved on. This is you working with your team, expecting them to come through for you, and them pausing because they're saying, I'm waiting to hear back. So you didn't say it at the time, but I know what you were thinking.

Dawn Andrews:

This isn't what building this company was supposed to feel like. So let's talk, just you and me, my founder friend, about what's really happening when your team adopts that wait and see approach to execution. Remember when you started your company, you didn't wait for permission. Girl, I know you didn't. You didn't wait for perfect conditions. You sure as hell didn't wait for someone to email you back before taking the next step. You were unstoppable, or your business would not exist like it does today. That relentless forward motion is now built into your DNA, it's why you succeed and why others stall out.

Dawn Andrews:

But something happens as we build teams, we accidentally normalize a different set of standards than the ones we hold for ourselves. We accept. I sent the email as a milestone, rather than recognizing it as merely the opening of a conversation, and I want to tell you something now that might be hard to hear, this isn't really about your team. It's about you, your company has developed a culture that sees responsibility as transferable, where accountability can be handed off with a click of the send button.

Dawn Andrews:

And cultures don't form by accident. They're shaped by the leaders who consistently reward and tolerate those behaviors. So the truth Your silence when someone says I'm waiting to hear back is interpreted as acceptance. Whew, yeah, how about that? So what if tomorrow, you had a vulnerable conversation with your team about this? What if you shared how you never actually feel like the ball leaves your court until results are achieved? What if you modeled what taking radical ownership looks like in practice.

Dawn Andrews:

In reality, this isn't about cracking a whip or demanding superhuman effort. It's about reframing how your team sees their fundamental relationship with results. When someone says they're waiting for a response, try asking, What do you think is happening on their end right now, this simple question shifts perspective from passive waiting to active empathy and helping your team members to understand why delays happen and how to navigate around them, because that's what we're going for.

Dawn Andrews:

And then if you follow up with that question with if you were in their shoes, what would make you respond quickly? This builds strategic thinking for your team members, rather than reactive, waiting just two simple questions that can totally shift how your team is responding and moving forward with your initiatives. The magic happens when your team starts to see themselves, not as message senders, but as outcome creators, the getterdunners, when they realize that every silence. Every delay, every roadblock, is actually information they can use to plot a new path forward. That's pretty cool, right?

Dawn Andrews:

So this transformation starts with you being honest about the standards you've always held yourself to, but perhaps haven't explicitly transferred to your team. Your company deserves the same relentless momentum that fueled your earliest days. What would your company look like 12 months from now? If everybody was playing that game, your team is capable of it. They just need you to expectantly hold that space until it becomes their natural operating system. The ball has never left your court as a founder, maybe it's time your entire organization operated with that same conviction.

Dawn Andrews:

So what do you think you ready to have that conversation tomorrow? So that was some real, real talk. Yes, you know that that's what Thursdays are about. Here at she's that founder. So here's what I want you to do right now. Before this episode ends and you get distracted by your next meeting. Think about your last team meeting. Or one on one check in, how many times did someone say, I'm waiting to hear back? Or some version of that, once, twice, five times.

Dawn Andrews:

Now, imagine if every single one of those people had a concrete plan for what happens next, regardless of if they get a response that they're already starting to think 123, steps ahead. How would that change your execution speed in your business? Look, I know this isn't easy. Shifting culture never is, but I've seen what happens when founders finally make this shift, and it is transformative.

Dawn Andrews:

So if you're ready to stop accepting I sent the email as progress and start building a team that operates with the same relentless momentum. I want to help. I'm offering a free 30 minute culture audit call where we'll identify exactly where the waiting game is showing up in your organization and create a specific plan to eliminate it. No pitch, no upsell, just you me and a clear path to faster execution. Go to dawn andrews.com forward slash audit to grab your spot. There are only five slots available this month, and they go fast, and this will not be available forever and ever. This is like for those of you that are hot on top of downloading the new episodes as they come, because this offer will close within one month.

Dawn Andrews:

Here's the thing, your company deserves the same unstoppable energy that got you started and your team is capable of it. They just need you to show them how. So stop waiting for permission, stop waiting for perfect conditions. Stop waiting for someone to email you back. The ball is in your court. It always has been. So now go use it, sending you big hugs and love. Have the very best day, and I'll catch you in the next episode.

Dawn Andrews:

If today's episode gave you clarity, courage or just a deep exhale, hit that follow button, leave a review or send this to a founder friend who needs to hear it. Come join us inside AI for founders, a private community on LinkedIn. You don't need more bandwidth. You need better systems, and you can totally create them with ease, on the fly in motion while you are scaling your business.