Leaders Function Best When They Don’t Solve Every Problem
Today, the reflection is short and sweet.
Because I’m inviting you to do less.
You know the saying, “nature abhors a vacuum?” It’s true in business as well. When there are gaps, something will come along to fill them.
The problem is that too often, that something is me, or you. A leader who is committed, who has a lot of skin in the game, and who (maybe) thrives on anxiety. They don’t let the vacuum exist long enough for anyone else to come fill it.
That’s called overfunctioning, and it’s a problem. Not just for you but also for your team.
Overfunctioning can keep your clients happy. It can drive revenue, cut expenses, and push the business forward. But it comes at a cost.
A cost to the leader who is constantly taking on too much stress, shouldering the whole load of the business and grinding to keep things going. And a cost to the team, who misses out on opportunities to learn and grow because somebody else always jumps in, offering the answer, outlining the solution, and mapping out the game plan.
Pushing harder may get you the outcomes you want. That’s why it’s such a trap. But it will not get you where you want to go faster, and it will not build a loyal team who can stretch and grow with the business. Pushing harder will not make you happier.
Next time you’re in a meeting with your leadership team, look around and ask yourself: Are the ideas coming from anybody but me?
If not, there’s a problem. Yes, you may have the wrong people on board. But you can’t figure that out until you stop intervening and find out what your people are actually capable of.
Instead of providing solutions, ask questions.
Why does this problem exist?
Who owns this problem?
What is the plan to address it?
Sit back. Literally, lean back in your seat. If something should not be your responsibility, don’t make it your problem. Instead, observe what happens when your team has the chance to fill the vacuum.
I’m not saying it will be perfect. I’m not saying to let the business go down in flames. But if you overfunction, and I know many of us do, then you need to establish a new dynamic.
That starts with sitting on your hands and doing less.
Carry your own bag. There are plenty of problems in the business that only you can solve.
Don’t carry everybody else’s baggage, too.
