What if your team could handle 90% of the problems you’re solving right now?
It sounds too good to be true, right Shar? But here’s the secret: most teams can. The real challenge isn’t their capability—it’s whether we, as leaders, are willing to step back and let them shine.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of fixing everything yourself. Maybe it feels faster, or you want to be helpful. But when you’re constantly solving every problem, you’re not just overworking yourself—you’re unintentionally holding your team back.
Here are 3 leadership shifts that can help you reclaim your time, empower your team, and drive better results for everyone:
Leadership Shift # 1 - Remove "being the hero" from your identity as a leader.
Plot twist: being the hero doesn't make you a great at what you do - it makes you the bottleneck. Think about the subtext of the hero:
Every time you jump in to fix something, you rob your team of the chance to grow.
Every time you answer a "quick question," you teach them to stop trusting their own judgement.
Every time you rescue a project, you reinforce the belief that they can't handle it without you.
But you might think, it feels OH SO GOOD to play hero! If this is you, then you're probably spinning in the cycle of being overworked in an underdeveloped team.
Here's the shift - what about a new identity as coach, mentor, and enabler? Shifting from “problem solver” to “problem framer” can transform how your team grows and performs.
Questions to ask yourself:
What’s one belief about winning that’s holding me back from empowering my team?
Am I inspiring ownership?
What's getting in the way of encouraging my team to think critically instead of defaulting to me?
Questions to ask your team: The next time a team member comes to you with an issue, resist the urge to jump in with a solution. Instead, try:
“What’s your take on this?”
“If you were me, how would you approach this?”
“What’s the real challenge here for you?” (Hint: This question, from The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier, is a game-changer.)
"What do you think we should do here?"
"What resources or support do you need to handle this on your own?"
Every problem your team brings you is an opportunity for growth—theirs, not yours. When you stop fixing and start reframing, you’re creating space for them to step up. And yes, it might take longer in the moment but that's the investment.
The shift: Redefine leadership as enabling others to shine, not proving your worth by solving everything yourself.
Leadership Shift # 2 - Start building the 'Decision Ladder'
Decision-making is a skill that grows with practice. If you’re the bottleneck for every decision, your team will never develop the confidence to make their own calls. The solution? Build a decision ladder that guides them toward autonomy.
Questions to ask yourself:
How clear am I about which decisions my team can own?
Is my micromanaging getting in the way of better decision-making?
How much do I really trust my team?
Here's the game-changer. Create a framework for decision-making that helps your team know exactly when to involve you - and when to run with it.
The Decision Ladder:
Handle it yourself: for low-stakes problems that fall squarely in their role
Check-in, then execute: for moderate-stakes decisions that need a quick gut check.
Collaborate: for high-stakes issues where multiple perspectives are critical.
Here's a practical example: a team member pops in with “should we delay the project deadline?” and this feels moderate-stakes, then, instead of deciding for them, say:
“What options have you considered?”
“What risks and benefits do you see for each option?”
“What decision do you feel most confident about, and why?”
The shift: Decision ladders are like training wheels for trust and autonomy. For yourself and your team. They give you and your team the framework to make decisions—and the confidence to own them.
Leadership Shift # 3 - Obsess over the fixing the root over the symptom
If the same problems keep resurfacing, you don’t have a team issue—you have a systems issue. If you're spending 90% of your time on your team's problems, it's time to notice the patterns and ask yourself:
Is it a training gap?
A communication breakdown?
A trust issue?
Practical example: If you’re constantly fielding questions about project priorities, it might not be a “time management” issue—it could be a lack of clarity in your team’s goals. Instead of just answering their questions, take a step back:
“What’s causing the confusion around priorities?”
“What can make priorities clearer?”
“What can make people more accountable to their priorities?”
The shift: Nine times out of ten, the root isn't the team's problem - it's a systems problem. Obsess over fixing the system and you'll have a chance of stopping the fires before they even start.
The Bottom Line
Leadership isn’t about doing it all—it’s about building a team that can do it with you, and sometimes without you. By shifting your approach from identity to empowerment, from fixing to reframing, from decision bottlenecks to ladders, and from symptoms to systems, you’re not just becoming a better leader. You’re creating a stronger, more capable team.
The Big Question
What would you do with an extra 10 hours this week? Strategize for the future? Coach your high-potentials? Take time off to actually breathe? Here's the thing - you can't really do that if you're drowning in the day-to-day.
The Bold Challenge
The next time someone comes to you with a problem, resist the urge to solve it. Instead ask:
What's your proposed solution
How do you want to handle this?
What would you do if I weren't here?
It might feel uncomfortable at first- for both you and your team. But discomfort is where growth happens.
My best, always,
Shar
P.S. Forward this to a leader you know who's burning out from playing firefighter. And if that leader is you, let's fix that.
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