𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗔 𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗘-𝗘𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴.

I talked with someone this week who should be thriving. Talented. Sharp. Hungry to lead. But completely demoralized.

Why? Because their leader has them so locked into task execution that they can’t see daylight, let alone opportunity.

They’re not asking to drop responsibilities. They’re asking to 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. A project. A process improvement. A team initiative. Anything that signals: 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁.

Instead, they’re getting “stick to your lane” energy wrapped in “focus on your current role” language.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀

Leadership can sharpen people — give confidence, visibility, stretch assignments.

Or it can cut them down. Make them small. Convince them their ceiling is someone else’s floor.

And most leaders swinging that second edge don’t even realize it.

“Lead, follow, or get out of the way”

If you’re leading, actually lead. Developing people is part of the job. If you’re not preparing someone to do your job (or something bigger), you’re managing — not leading.

And that’s fine. But let’s call it what it is.

Here’s the uncomfortable part: Are you holding people in place because the work needs them there… or because you do?

There’s a difference between “we need your focus because of X timeline” and “stay in this box because I don’t know how to function without you in it.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱

They need stretch assignments. Rooms where decisions are made. Permission to fail forward. Someone to say 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 before they think they are.

They don’t need another workflow tutorial.

Your job isn’t to keep people in lanes. Your job is to build leaders who will eventually outgrow you — and to celebrate when they do.

If you’re not doing that, what are you doing in leadership?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Who on your team is ready for more but not getting it? Who’s pulling at the reins, and you keep tightening them?

And what would happen if you finally let them run?

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸-𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲 — 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 — 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

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