Dear Leader #0016
Dear Leader,
There is a time to step in and support and there is a time to step back and challenge.
I love helping the team. I love hearing the problems they're up against, brainstorming solutions, getting my hands dirty to help out, and implementing improvements where I can. And in some cases, this is the right way to lead.
However, I've learned over the years (sometimes the hard way) that there are also situations where the team is better served when I step back and allow them to own the challenge.
In other words, I'm not always the best person for the job.
This means, anytime I step in to "manage a situation" when I'm not the best fit, I'm actually hurting the team more than I'm helping. Not only am I robbing the team of a better resource, I'm also robbing the best person for the job of an opportunity for growth themselves.
Know when to take up space with hands-on support and when to give up space to allow someone else to rise to the challenge. This creates a culture of empowerment and liberates people into their greatest potential.
