Many business owners struggle to implement necessary changes because those changes threaten not just what they do, but who they perceive themselves to be. This is what I call the "Identity Anchor."

Over years of running your business, your identity becomes intertwined with specific roles: the expert craftsperson, the problem-solver, the person who ensures quality. When change requires shifting away from these roles, it triggers resistance that feels almost existential.



I worked with a skilled craftsman whose furniture business had plateaued because he couldn't scale beyond his personal production capacity. He knew intellectually that he needed to step away from the workshop and focus on business development. Yet every attempt at delegation ended with him taking tools from employees' hands to "show them how it's done."

His breakthrough came when he realized his entire sense of self was wrapped in being "the craftsman who makes exceptional furniture." The thought of becoming "just a business owner" felt like losing his identity. Only by expanding his identity to include "master craftsman who builds both beautiful furniture AND an exceptional team" could he successfully evolve.

This pattern repeats across industries. The consultant who can't delegate client work because "I'm the idea person." The retailer who can't systematize operations because "my personal touch is what customers come for."

Overcoming identity anchors requires identity expansion, not replacement. Don't try to stop being the expert craftsperson or consultant. Instead, expand your identity to include "developer of other experts" or "builder of systems that deliver expertise." This allows growth without loss.

Remember, changing what you do without changing how you see yourself creates internal conflict that almost always results in reverting to old patterns. But when your actions align with an expanded sense of identity, change becomes not just possible but natural.