Don’t Build Followers. Build Leaders with the 1-3-1 Rule

When I first stepped into leading a team, I thought my job was to be the smartest person in the room.

I wanted to be the one with the answers. The one people turned to when they were stuck. The one who could solve any problem, big or small.

And in the beginning, it worked. My team came to me for guidance, and I always delivered. I felt indispensable. Important. Needed.

But here’s the thing: I wasn’t building leaders. I was building dependency.

And dependency kills scale.

It’s not enough to collect followers who wait for your instructions. If you want your business to grow and for your leadership to actually make an impact you need to build other leaders.

Let’s dig into what that looks like.

The Hidden Cost of Always Having the Answer

On the surface, being the “answer machine” feels good. After all, people trust you enough to come to you. They rely on your judgment. You get to prove your expertise daily.

But here’s the hidden cost:

1. Your team becomes passive.
   If every decision flows through you, your team stops making decisions. They get conditioned to wait. Why wrestle with a problem if the boss will just decide?

2. Bottlenecks form around you.
   You become the choke point in every process. Work stalls when you’re out of office. Progress slows because every solution needs your stamp of approval.

3. You burn out.
   Instead of spending your time on vision, strategy, and growth, you’re stuck troubleshooting. You’re managing tasks instead of leading people.

Think about it: if your team can’t move without you, you’re not scaling, you’re babysitting.

And that’s not leadership.

Followers vs. Leaders: The Difference That Changes Everything

A follower waits for directions. A leader looks for opportunities.

A follower depends on your expertise. A leader develops their own.

A follower does what you ask. A leader asks, “What if we tried this?”

Which kind of team will help you scale faster?

I see it all the time - many scaling founders and entrepreneurs unintentionally train their people to stay followers. They do this by always providing the answer, stepping in too quickly, or fixing problems themselves.

But business that scale and thrive? Their people are trained leaders - out there taking action and creating outcomes.

The 1-3-1 Rule: A Simple Shift to Build Leaders

The best tool I’ve found to shift from building dependency to building leaders is the 1-3-1 Rule.

It works like this:

• 1 problem: When a team member comes to you, they must clearly define the problem.

• 3 solutions: They brainstorm three possible ways to solve it.

• 1 recommendation: They tell you which solution they believe is best and why.

Instead of dumping the problem on your desk, they’ve already thought through it. Instead of asking for instructions, they’re building the skill of evaluation.

You’re not just getting answers, you’re creating thinkers.

Why the 1-3-1 Rule Works

1. It builds ownership.
   When someone has to present solutions, they take responsibility for the outcome. They feel invested.

2. It strengthens problem-solving.
   The practice of weighing options builds critical thinking muscles. Over time, your team gets sharper and faster at making decisions.

3. It reduces bottlenecks.
   Because your people are solving problems independently, fewer issues land on your desk. You get your time back.

4. It develops confidence.
   As team members see their recommendations put into practice, they begin to trust their judgment. Confidence grows.

Coaching Tip: Teach Logic, Not Just Solutions

Here’s an important detail: don’t just accept the solution. Ask your team member to share their logic.

Why did they choose this recommendation? What trade-offs did they consider? How does it support the bigger vision?

This forces them to think beyond the quick fix. It stretches them to connect their decision-making to outcomes and strategy.

If you want to reinforce this, try doing mini-trainings during team huddles. Present a small problem and ask your team to practice 1-3-1 on the spot. Let them explain their reasoning. Celebrate the process, not just the outcome.

Over time, this habit will transform the way your team thinks.

An Example in Action

Let me show you how this works in real life.

A project manager on my team once came to me with a scheduling problem. Several deadlines were overlapping, and she wasn’t sure what to prioritize.

In the past, she might have simply asked, “What do you want me to do?”

But using the 1-3-1 Rule, here’s what she brought instead:

• Problem: Three deadlines overlap, and we can’t realistically hit them all.

• Solutions:

  1. Ask the client for an extension.

  2. Reallocate team members from another project.

  3. Reduce the scope of the deliverables.

• Recommendation: She suggested re-allocating team from a different project, because the missing the client-facing deadline vs an internal project deadline would create revenue issues if the client was dissatisfied.

She presented her reasoning, we talked it through, and I agreed.

The outcome? She solved the problem, and she gained confidence. I didn’t need to step in. And the next time she encountered a problem, she had the confidence to solve it without me.

That’s leadership development in action.

The Ripple Effect of Building Leaders

When you stop solving every problem and start developing problem-solvers, here’s what happens:

• Your team becomes proactive. They don’t wait, they anticipate.

• Innovation increases. More brains thinking creatively leads to better ideas.

• Trust deepens. When you empower people, they feel valued. Engagement and loyalty grow.

• Your time frees up. You can focus on strategy, vision, and growth instead of daily fires.

• Your business scales. Because it’s no longer dependent on you alone.

I’ve seen this play out with countless teams. The ones that thrive aren’t filled with people waiting for orders. They’re filled with people who lead.

What Holds Leaders Back from This Shift

If the benefits are so obvious, why don’t more leaders do this?

Because it’s uncomfortable.

It’s faster to just give the answer. It feels safer to stay in control. It strokes your ego to be the smartest in the room.

But leadership isn’t about proving your worth. It’s about multiplying it.

You can either stay the hero who saves the day or become the leader who builds a team of heroes.

Practical Ways to Start Building Leaders Today

1. Introduce the 1-3-1 Rule. Share it with your team and start using it immediately in your 1:1s.

2. Celebrate effort, not just answers. Praise team members when they bring solutions, even if they’re not perfect.

3. Model transparency. Share your own decision-making process out loud so your team can learn how you think.

4. Ask better questions. Instead of answering, ask:

   • “What solutions do you see?”

   • “What would you recommend if I weren’t here?”

   • “Which option best supports our long-term goals?”

5. Create safe-to-fail opportunities. Give people responsibility on projects where mistakes won’t sink the ship. Let them stretch.

Closing: Your Real Job as a Leader

At the end of the day, your job isn’t to give better answers.

Your job is to ask better questions.

Questions that stretch your people.
Questions that spark new thinking.
Questions that prepare them to lead without you.

If you want to scale, stop building followers who depend on your every move. Start building leaders who think, decide, and act.

Because the future of your business and your impact depends on the leaders you create today.