Discover: how a business owner, fully immersed in the company's day-to-day operations, managed to escape the routine.

Oleg Fishelev,
Chairman of the Board of Directors at "Unimatic," Yekaterinburg — Moscow

Oleg Fishelev graduated from the Faculty of at Ural Federal University. In 2011, right after graduation, he joined his father’s company, "Unimatic." He worked in various roles, from system administrator to logistics and accounting, eventually transitioning into management positions.

A year and a half ago, the company began to experience rapid growth. The newly opened branch in Moscow gained momentum, and the industrial sector drew national attention. The staff increased by one and a half times, and sales grew fivefold. The team couldn’t keep up, and I took on numerous responsibilities. I was handling automation alone, overseeing the CRM implementation, managing programmers, drafting regulations, and deeply involved in financial and managerial accounting. Administrative tasks also fell on my shoulders, and I felt overwhelmed, struggling to meet the expectations set by my father, the company’s founder.

This led to burnout, disappointment, and constant stress. My work quality declined, and decisions were made hastily. My sleep pattern was disrupted, and I was constantly fatigued. That’s when I decided it was time to delegate operational tasks to my team. In this article, I will share the methods that helped me master delegation.

Learning to Trust and Allow for Mistakes

It took me six months to learn how to delegate effectively. Fortunately, I had the right people in place, and there was no need to replace any top managers. However, stepping back was challenging. I started by teaching employees not to seek my approval for tasks that were within their domain. Gradually, I built processes that didn’t require my involvement.

Difficult Decisions on Letting People Go

In one department, employees had been working together for years, forming a cohesive team with its own culture. But as revenue grew, so did the workload, leading to conflicts. The department head suggested replacing the problematic employees, but I was initially against it, fearing the loss of key specialists. However, I eventually granted him the authority to make the decision. He parted ways with the troublesome staff, and though it took time to find replacements, the department now operates as a respectful and cohesive team.

Showing Genuine Interest in Employees' Work

Delegation is only effective when employees are properly motivated. Praise is a great motivator, but it must be sincere and thoughtful. Instead of just saying "good job," I ask questions about their work, showing genuine interest in their ideas and technologies. When time is short, I use "I-statements," like "I’m impressed!" or "This approach earns my respect."

Eliminating Small, Time-Consuming Tasks

Minor tasks and approvals were consuming too much of my time, so I set a personal rule to avoid them. It’s better to spend an hour creating a checklist than wasting minutes daily on repeated explanations.

Tailoring Leadership to Each Employee

I strive to apply different leadership styles depending on the employee’s level of development. New hires need clear instructions and support, while experienced employees require less oversight and can work independently. This approach helps each team member grow and reach new heights.

The Results

By delegating finance and automation, I freed up 85-90% of my time. As I learned to trust my team, I realized they could perform their tasks even better than I could. This has given me more time for personal development: I’m now studying philosophy, hermeneutics, rhetoric, and even game development in Unreal Engine. As a result, I’ve become calmer and more confident about the future.

How the CEO Managed to Break Free from Operational Routine