Stop Trying to Do Everything

?? The moment I realized I was the bottleneck, I had to change everything.

Sound familiar?

Every leader reaches a point where there’s just too much. Too many meetings, too many decisions, and too many plates spinning at once. At first, you think, “If I just work harder or longer, I’ll get it all done.” But the truth is, working harder or longer isn’t the answer.

Scaling as a leader means letting go of specific tasks, focusing on what truly matters, and empowering others to step up. Let me show you how I’ve learned to do this over the years.

?? Step 1: Let Go of What Doesn’t Need You

Early in my career, I believed being a “good” leader meant staying involved in everything. It wasn’t until I was at GoDaddy, juggling P&L growth, hiring top leaders, determining platform migration plans, and negotiating with partners, that I realized the weight of this approach. I was burnt out, my team felt micromanaged, and decisions were moving at a snail’s pace.

For me, that meant:

• Ask yourself if I am the best person for this task
• Can I delegate this to someone on the team to do it better or faster?
• Can they learn and grow if it’s not perfect the first time?

I delegated platform migrations to a senior product leader. I added myself to the tail end of the interview panel and only interviewed candidates if they made it past the first round. This freed me to focus on stakeholder and partner alignment - a task that required me to be involved.

?? Step 2: Reinvest Your Energy in High-Impact Work

When I transitioned to a leadership role at eBay, I learned the hard way that saying "yes" to everything waters down your effectiveness. Instead, I began focusing only on the tasks where I brought unique value.

For me, that meant:

• Partnering with engineering to invest in a new advertising model that became a top ROI driver.
• Spending time with customers to deeply understand their pain points and devise a pivot to our strategic plan.

The payoff? My focus on the right tasks had a measurable impact, and it got me noticed as a strategic leader.

?? Step 3: Empower the Team, Even When It Feels Uncomfortable

At Meta, I led a team working on a high-visibility product that impacted millions of users daily. I was deeply involved in strategy, design reviews, and stakeholder presentations. It felt like my fingerprints needed to be on everything.

A senior leader called me, saying, “Tapan, you are too deep in the weeds. Your team needs room to lead.” It stung, but they were right. My need to stay involved was slowing things down.

For me, that meant:

• Step back. I asked one of my most promising PMs to lead the track
• Coach my PM on a critical product review with the VP.?
• Help them refine their narrative, and trust them to deliver.

The result? The PM crushed the meeting and built their reputation as a leader. Our team became faster and more decisive because they knew I trusted them to make key decisions.

At Meta, I learned this hard truth: If you do all the work, you limit your team and yourself. Empowering others can be messy and uncomfortable initially, but it’s the only way to scale a team and, ultimately, yourself as a leader.

?? Step 4: Make Time for What Only You Can Do

Some responsibilities can’t or shouldn’t be delegated. For me, one has always been building a long-term strategy and aligning cross-functional teams.

At Mozilla, I have found that carving out uninterrupted time for these conversations ensures teams are rowing in the same direction. This investment pays dividends because alignment leads to faster execution and less confusion later.

For me, that meant:

• Spending dedicated 1:1 time with leads to uncover roadblocks and co-create solutions that moved the needle for the organization.
• Prioritizing strategy discussions to align cross-functional teams on the vision for Firefox's growth strategy, ensuring engineering, user research, design, and product were aligned.

?? Step 5: Protect Your Energy and Set Boundaries

As leaders, we’re often wired to give 110%. It feels natural to pour everything into our work - late nights, weekends, and emotional energy. But here’s a truth many of us learn the hard way.

When you give everything unconstrained to a constrained entity (your employer), you're setting yourself up for disappointment. - Nikhyl Singhal

Companies, no matter how well-intentioned, have limits. Limited budgets. Limited promotions. Limited ways to recognize your contributions. If you give without boundaries, you’ll eventually find yourself drained, frustrated, and wondering why the scales don’t feel balanced.

This doesn’t mean you should stop caring or delivering excellence. Instead, it means being intentional about how much you give and where you focus your energy.

For me, that meant:

• Define your non-negotiables. Protecting time for family or personal growth. These boundaries helped me recharge and perform better at work.
• Learn to say no. I have turned down extra projects or meetings that didn’t align with my priorities, even if they made me uncomfortable.

TL;DR

Scaling as a leader isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing the right things. Focus on tasks where you bring unique value, delegate what others can handle better, and protect your energy by setting boundaries. Leading strategically will empower your team, amplify your impact, and avoid burnout.

SkillSculpt

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If you're serious about landing your dream role, SkillSculpt is the perfect solution.?

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