Lean and mean companies staff few to do the jobs of many. Especially in startups, you are expected to “wear many hats.” There’s a lot of pride in being superhuman, accomplishing a lot, and exhibiting different skill-sets. Staff members may complain, but deep down they feel awesome for being worth more than one man or woman.

As a leader, wearing many hats earns you more control. You can have your finger in everything, stay involved, and have your say. But be very careful – spreading yourself too thin will hurt the work and hurt you. I don’t care who you think you are; there are physical limitations to what you can do with your time. Whether you believe it or not, you cannot do everything. Too many hats will weigh your head down. You must learn to delegate and trust others. If you do not, the quality of work done by you and others will suffer dramatically.

Don’t look like a fool for wearing too many hats. Give a few away.