When to Step Back and Let Others Take Charge

I used to be the person who would jump in and "fix" things when my team hit a roadblock. It felt faster, cleaner, and frankly, I knew I could deliver the result we needed. But I was robbing my team of something crucial: the chance to grow. The shift from "I'll handle it" to "How can I help you handle it?" changes everything. Here's what I've learned about stepping back to develop others: 1. Start with the right question. Instead of "What needs to be done?" ask "Who on my team could benefit from taking this on?" Every challenge becomes a development opportunity when you view it through this lens. 2. Resist the rescue reflex. When someone struggles, our instinct is to jump in. But struggle is where growth happens. Offer guidance, ask probing questions, share resources—but let them work through the solution. 3. Make failure safe. If you're going to delegate meaningful work, you have to accept that it won't always go perfectly. Create an environment where people can experiment, make mistakes, and learn without fear. 4. Celebrate their wins, not your teaching. When someone succeeds after you've developed them, the spotlight should be on their achievement, not your mentoring. This builds their confidence and reinforces that growth mindset. The irony? When you stop doing everything yourself, your team becomes capable of so much more. You free yourself up for higher-level strategic work, and you build a team that doesn't need you to micromanage every decision. What's the hardest part of delegation for you? The time investment upfront, or trusting others with important outcomes? ♻️ Repost to help others in your network and ▶️ Follow me @NicholasColisto for more leadership tips #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #Management #Growth

This is a message to all my fellow FGOs at SSC: Let your CGOs deliver the message—briefings and emails to senior officers. It’s a simple and effective way to empower them and give proper credit for their work. As leaders, it’s our duty to develop the officers who work with us. One key way is by recognizing the hard work of our CGOs and ensuring they have opportunities to showcase their efforts. If a CGO has put in the time to prepare a briefing or draft a document for a tasker, let them present it or send it up the chain of command. They’ve earned the right to that face time with senior leadership and the credit for their work. Why is this so important? First, it demonstrates trust. Allowing our CGOs to own their work shows that we have confidence in their abilities. This boosts morale and encourages them to take initiative and grow. If we step in to deliver the final product ourselves, it can signal that we don’t trust them to represent their work or, worse, that we’re subtly taking credit or using their work to gain face time with the boss. This approach isn’t just about individual development; it’s about fostering a culture of empowerment. My experience at SpOC highlighted the value of this practice. During my 4 years there, it was common for O2s/O3s to brief O7s/O8s or send emails directly, provided their chain of command was copied. This wasn’t just accepted—it was encouraged, creating an environment where junior officers felt empowered to contribute directly to the mission. However, at SSC, I’ve noticed a cultural shift. Here, it’s not uncommon for an FGO to step in and take over the final presentation or communication, even when a CGO has done all the groundwork. While this may be done with good intentions, it can have unintended consequences. We need to be mindful of the message this sends and the impact on our junior officers' development. As FGOs, we have a unique role in shaping the next generation of leaders. We must challenge ourselves to step back and let our CGOs shine. This doesn’t mean abdicating our responsibilities but recognizing when it’s appropriate to let them lead. In doing so, we help build their confidence, enhance their professional growth, and contribute to a more dynamic and capable force. Let’s commit to fostering a culture at SSC where empowerment isn’t just a buzzword but a lived experience. Encourage your CGOs to brief, email, and take the reins on their projects. Show them you trust them to deliver. By doing so, we develop their leadership skills and strengthen the foundation of our organization for the future.

One of the biggest skills for a PE operator is knowing when to step in and when to step back. 🎯 And this skill is as much an art as it is a science. After working with loads of companies, I've observed that one of the differences between good and great operators often comes down to one critical skill: knowing exactly when to step in and when to step back. Here's my framework for making this crucial decision: ⚡️When to Get Involved: The clearest signals for active engagement are when you see: - Gaps between strategic vision and operational execution (talk > results) - Teams focused on day-to-day firefighting rather than systematic improvement. - Misalignment between department initiatives and company-wide goals (flawed execution) - Leadership teams struggling to articulate their value creation roadmap (or they aren't convicted) - Multiple competing priorities without clear selection criteria (confused execution - There's no "no" list) ⚡️When to Step Back: The best time to maintain distance is when you observe: - Clear metrics and accountability systems in place (clarity and accountability) - Front-line employees actively driving process improvements (empowered teams) - Strong bottom-up innovation programs with measurable results (belief and buy-in) - Leadership teams that effectively translate strategy into action (pragmatic visionaries) - Regular cross-functional collaboration solving real business problems (one team, one goal.) ★ Here's the Golden Rule: Your involvement should amplify, not replace, internal capability. Here's what this looks like in practice: When we stepped into a recent portfolio company, we found a talented team drowning in initiatives. Rather than dictating priorities, we facilitated high-impact and very well designed workshops that helped them develop their own organizational performance priorities and management practices. Once they had clarity (on what they would do and how they would work together), we stepped back and watched them execute brilliantly. Similarly, where we see robust programs driven by employee insights, our best move is often to simply ensure they have the resources and support to scale their successes. The key is to recognize that strategic involvement isn't about control – it's about enablement. The goal is to build sustainable capabilities that last, not teams that depend on us. Remember: The best operators make themselves progressively less necessary over time. If you're doing your job right, the company should run better without your daily involvement by the time you exit. What's been your experience with finding this balance? ~~~~ 👋🏻 I'm Russell > thanks for taking the time to read this. ★ I work with teams to measurably improve business performance. 🔔 Follow me or click the bell to read insights and stories (and opinions!)

The best leaders know when to step back. Here are 3 signs it’s time (and how to unlock real growth): I’ve worked with countless founders and leaders. • Builders. • High performers. • People who pour their heart into their business. But no matter how good they are, every single one hits the same wall. • The team expands. • The business grows. • Responsibilities pile up. And before you know it—you're the problem. • Every decision runs through you. • Your people can’t move without your approval. • You’re buried in tasks when you should be leading strategy. If you want to scale, you need to get out of your own way. Here are 3 signs you’re getting in the way—and how to fix it: 1) You’re solving every problem You think it’s your job to have all the answers. But every time you step in, you’re keeping your team stuck. It holds them back. It stops them from growing. Instead of solving problems for them, step back: Ask, "What’s your solution?" Coach—don’t control. Real leadership is about creating other leaders. 2) You’re clinging to control because it feels like purpose Leaders often hold on tight because it makes them feel valuable. Letting go feels like losing your identity. Who am I if I’m not holding it all together? I get it. But if you don’t loosen your grip, you’ll suffocate your team—and your growth. Redefine your value: Your job isn’t to hold it all together—it’s to set the vision and unleash your team’s potential. That’s real leadership. And it’s the only way to scale. 3) You don’t fully trust your team You say you do. But every Slack check-in and "just following up" email says otherwise. Trust isn’t telling them you believe in them—it’s giving them the space to fail forward and figure things out. • Get clear on the goal. • Remove the blockers. • Let them go. If they stumble? You coach—you don’t grab the wheel. That’s how autonomous teams—and real growth—are built. P.S. Where are you still holding the reins too tight? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear it. If this hit home, follow Dr. Carrie LaDue for more leadership insights ♻️ Share this with someone who needs the reminder.

A senior executive once told me: “Nothing moves unless I approve it.” He said it with pride. But what I saw was a bottleneck. Too many leaders say they want their team to take ownership. But their team can’t breathe without permission. If every decision needs your blessing… You’re not leading—you’re controlling. You’re slowing down the very growth you hired people to drive. Empowerment isn’t a fluffy word. It’s a leadership discipline. Here are 10 ways to stop being the bottleneck—and start building ownership: 1/ Set clear expectations upfront—then step back. 2/ Delegate outcomes, not just tasks. 3/ Let others make decisions—even if they’d choose differently. 4/ Don’t solve problems no one asked you to solve. 5/ Ask for updates when needed—not constantly. 6/ Say “I trust you”—and mean it. 7/ Define what success looks like—not how to get there. 8/ Create room for mistakes—and real learning. 9/ Stop hovering in meetings and message threads. 10/ Ask “What do you think?” more than you give answers. If you’ve hired smart people, let them be smart. Step back so they can step up. Trust is a force multiplier. Micromanagement? A silent culture killer. Let your team lead. Agree? ------------- ♻ Repost to help other leaders 🔔  Follow me, ✨Jim Riviello, for more leadership insights. Great image by George Stern