01 Apr 2026
By Colin McGill, MD & Founder, Avastra Consulting Ltd
I have one question I put to every business leader I sit down with. It is not about strategy, market conditions, or growth plans. It is this.
If I stopped one of your managers in the corridor today and asked them what you personally expect from them this week - not their job description - not their KPIs - what you expect right now, would their answer match yours?
Most MDs pause when they hear it. The honest ones admit it probably wouldn't.
That gap is not a communication problem. It is not a management problem. It is a leadership infrastructure problem, and in my experience it is the single thing most reliably putting a ceiling on a growing business.
I have spent the better part of twenty years working with MDs and CEOs of complex, multi-site businesses across the UK and Worldwide The ones who feel trapped in their own company - the ones the business cannot function without - almost always have the same issue underneath. High Expectations, and a quiet, gradual acceptance of something less.
I call it the Law of Expectation.
What you Expect multiplied by What you ACCEPT equals What you GET.
Most leaders are rigorous about the first variable and almost blind to the impact of the second.
The cost shows up in slow decisions, missed targets, and a leadership team that will not stretch without the MD in the room. In a growing business, that cost compounds quickly.
The good news is it is entirely fixable, and it does not require restructuring, redundancy, or a lengthy consultancy programme. It requires building the kind of leadership infrastructure that makes your expectations the operating standard, not the aspiration.
If that question landed somewhere for you, I have a 5 Question assessment I would be happy to send you. Alternatively, I would be happy to spend fifteen minutes exploring what it looks like in your business. No sales pitch no agenda beyond the conversation.
