Letting Go to Grow: The Key to Thriving as a Leader

As leaders, we sometimes struggle to let things go, even when they’re not good for us. As company owners, we may think we know best ??, but it’s true: at some point, we have to let our other leaders lead. If they aren’t leading well, then a change is necessary.?

Stress is tough on many of us. We don’t realize how high our cortisol levels rise until our bodies start turning against us. When we’re engaged in tasks that are not “serving us well,” it’s time to “Let It Go.”

I know it’s a little cold, but it’s not FROZEN (ha ha… get it?). We need to prioritize the health of our organization, our teams, and our own physical health. Sunny and I recently decided not to lead any individual team. We needed to ensure that we had the right leaders in each division of our organization. This can be challenging. We all want to step in and help, and I understand that desire to be useful, but there comes a point where we can actually hurt the organization and ourselves.?

For me, it was about health. I honestly couldn’t remember a time when my body wasn’t in high-stress “fight” mode. Even now, after finishing this year’s Build IT event, I don’t think my body has fully registered that the stress is gone (well, for six months at least). I don’t know what to do with myself—there’s so much time in the day.?

At the beginning of this year, I was very intentional about finding my next layer of leaders. I stopped allowing those who didn’t provide 100% of the support I needed—not just for the company, but for me—to continue serving our organization. It’s an intentional choice. We often get attached to people, but if they aren’t performing at 100%, we find ourselves doing tasks that should be their responsibility. If the leaders of those divisions aren’t serving you, instead of jumping in to fix it yourself, you need to consciously decide to find those who will.?

This led to an intensive 6-8 month search, during which I personally screened resumes and had the team conduct rounds of interviews until we finally found the right candidates. We did it! I’m no longer in charge of sales or marketing; I can focus on my “one thing.” Many of us are visionaries with great ideas, but we get bogged down in day-to-day tasks. That’s not the best use of our time. So, what do we do??

1. Complete the Unique Abilities Assessment: If you haven’t done the Unique Abilities Assessment by The Strategic Coach, consider doing it.?

2. Identify Your Unique Ability: Determine your unique ability and list your day-to-day activities.?

3. Assess Activities:?

• Which activities do you enjoy??
• Which would you rather delegate??

4. Delegate Tasks:?

• For the activities you want to delegate, do you have a “WHO” to handle them??

5. Evaluate Your Team:?

• Is there someone within your organization who can take on that work??
• Does the task require a full-time role, or could it potentially be outsourced??

6. Reassess Task Ownership:?

• Does the task truly belong to someone else, but you took it on because it wasn’t being done well??
• If yes, do you have the right “WHO” in that role??

I believe we all need to conduct a talent assessment of ourselves and our leaders annually. Sometimes we don’t realize how muddy our organization becomes when work is distributed among many teams or leaders, especially if a few aren’t serving us well. So, take a quiet moment to reflect on how you are serving your organization, and ask yourself: Can you do better? Are you doing what truly is your unique ability? Are there team members who aren’t performing well, but with whom you have an emotional connection??

Whether it’s a task, a role, or a leader, if they don’t serve you well, then “Let them go.” Your team, your leaders, and your own mental health will thank you for it.?

Source: https://itbd.net/blog/candid-kam/letting-go-to-grow-the-key-to-thriving-as-a-leader/