The most dangerous instinct in leadership is this: “It’s easier if I just do it myself.” That instinct feels productive in the moment. It solves the immediate problem and keeps the team moving. But repeated often enough, it quietly trains your team to depend on you for answers, decisions, and direction. And eventually, you become the person holding everything together. Most leaders have said these words to themselves more times than they can count and underneath that thought

Leaders don’t build teams. They build the people who make teams great. I’ve worked for a lot of leaders over the course of my career— nine different leaders in the last ten years. There’s good and bad in that. Every time I was given a new leader, it felt like a step back.  I had to prove myself again, rebuild trust, and help them see my strengths.  In many ways, it was frustrating—like starting over, again and again. But in hindsight, I see something else. Working for differe

I have a confession to make. I’m not fun. There. I said it. I'm the ‘fun killer.’ Some years ago, I was responsible for a two-day...

Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash I bet you can think of one or two unspoken “rules” of your team or corporate culture. They aren’t...

POV: One of your employees resigns. How do you feel? A. like a failure of a boss B. anxious that productivity will slow C....