As a leader, you know your job is to create an environment where other people grow. That requires letting go, which doesn't always feel comfortable at first, especially in new roles.

Oddly, I was reminded of how tricky this can be when I was attempting to dance with someone (not my forte) and a friend who knows me well laughed and said, "Can you just chill and let him lead?"

I remember thinking: OK, that didn't even occur to me.

Early on, I was like that as a team leader, too. Most of us are.

I wanted to prove I was smart and competent. Later, I thought I was protecting my team. In reality, I was probably holding them back. Over time, I started giving my team real room to lead: projects, workstreams, campaigns. I stayed engaged, but I stopped needing to be in the middle of everything.

Smart, ambitious people need space and opportunities to make consequential decisions. Without them, they disengage and leave.

Letting go requires trust and confidence, in your team and in yourself, and the right level of support to stretch without being set up to fail. That's how you protect them, and create room for yourself to keep growing, too.

Good leaders learn this. But then we change companies, take on a bigger role, or find ourselves in a new environment, and old patterns can come back.

Because we're human.

So if you lead people, block off time regularly, and well before the annual review process, to notice:

Where can I relax and let go?

What do I no longer need to hold onto?

What might become possible for both of us because of that?

This is the kind of shift I help leaders and teams make. See how I work with Teams & Leaders.