The $10 Word That Could Transform Your Business... SUBSIDIARITY: Empowering People!

Subsidiarity: Empowering People!

I’m going to throw out a word that most folks don’t use at the coffee shop: subsidiarity.

Sounds like something you’d find buried in a philosophy textbook or maybe in a Vatican council. But here’s the truth—it’s one of the best-kept secrets in leadership. And when you understand it, it can make your business run faster, smarter, and better than you ever thought possible.

So what is it? Subsidiarity is the principle that decisions should be made at the lowest level possible, by the people closest to the problem. In other words, don’t drag every little decision up to the top of the ladder. Push authority down to the folks who are actually dealing with the situation.

That’s it. Simple. But powerful.

Why Subsidiarity Works in Business

I’ve been in construction, storage, and franchising for over 20 years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: bottlenecks kill momentum.

Every time an employee has to stop and say, “I better check with the boss,” you lose speed, you lose initiative, and you lose opportunities. And worse than that? You teach your people that you don’t really trust them.

Subsidiarity flips that script. Instead of waiting on orders, your people are empowered to act. Instead of building a business where every question rolls uphill, you build one where solutions happen right where the problems show up.

Think about it like a ranch. If the fence is down on the south pasture, you don’t need a ranch hand riding two miles to ask permission before he nails in a post. You trust him to know the fence needs fixing. And you trust him to do it.

How to Put Subsidiarity Into Action

This isn’t theory. It’s practical. Here’s how I’ve lived it out:

• In Self Storage: At one of my facilities, the manager noticed that every time the gate keypad glitched, customers got frustrated and called corporate. Instead of waiting for me to get involved, I gave her authority to call the service tech directly. What happened? The problem got fixed the same day instead of three days later, and tenants noticed. Retention went up. That’s money in the bank.
• Marketing Decisions: Another manager saw a certain block of climate-controlled units sitting empty for too long. She asked if she could run a targeted special just for those. I told her, “Don’t ask—if it makes sense, do it.” She filled them in a week. I didn’t micromanage, and she didn’t need to wait.
• Personal Life Example: Even at home, this applies. My daughters learned young that if they wanted to take on responsibilities—chores, jobs, school projects—I’d let them own it. I didn’t hover. Did they make mistakes? Sure. But they learned faster, got more confident, and built the kind of independence that’s priceless.

Subsidiarity builds people up. It teaches ownership. It shows trust. And when you combine trust with accountability, you get a team that’s not just working for you—they’re working with you.

The Common Objection

Now, I can hear the pushback: “But Kevin, what if they make the wrong decision?”

Here’s my answer: they will. At least sometimes. But that’s how people grow. And nine times out of ten, the decision they make in the moment is still better than waiting two weeks for your verdict.

Besides, if you train your people well and make your expectations clear, they’ll usually surprise you. I’ve had managers come up with ideas and fixes I never would’ve thought of. And I’ve seen employees light up when they realize they’ve got the power to solve something without running it up the chain.

Why It Matters in Any Business

This principle isn’t limited to self storage. It works in restaurants, retail shops, law firms, tech startups—you name it.

• A waiter refills a drink without asking the manager.
• A software developer fixes a bug before the client even sees it.
• A cashier overrides a small refund to keep a customer happy.

Those are all examples of subsidiarity. Small decisions, made at the right level, create a smoother experience for everyone involved.

The Bigger Picture

When you practice subsidiarity, you don’t just make your business more efficient—you build a culture.

A culture where people don’t just clock in and clock out. They own their roles. They take pride. They grow into leaders themselves.

And here’s the kicker: when you practice subsidiarity long enough, you’ll start to notice you’ve got more freedom, too. Instead of being stuck in the weeds of daily decisions, you’re freed up to focus on the big stuff—strategy, growth, vision.

Subsidiarity may sound like a $10 word, but it boils down to a nickel’s worth of wisdom: trust your people to do the jobs you hired them to do.

In my experience, the more I’ve trusted my team, the more they’ve rewarded that trust. Not just with results, but with creativity, loyalty, and excellence.

And that’s the kind of business that doesn’t just run—it thrives.