How I Learned That to Be a Successful Manager, You Must Do Less for Your People—Not More

For years, I thought being a great leader meant doing everything I could to support my team. I answered every question, solved every problem, and made sure no one struggled. I thought I was being helpful. But in reality, I was holding them back.

It wasn’t that my people weren’t competent. I just wasn’t giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their competency. Every time I stepped in to fix something, I was unintentionally sending the message: “I don’t trust you to figure this out.” And over time, they started believing it too.

That’s when I realized: I wasn’t leading—I was enabling. And the more I did for them, the more dependent they became on me.

The moment I learned to do less for my people—not more—was the moment I became a better leader. And it changed everything.

The Problem: Why Helping Too Much Hurts Your Team

At first, it felt like I was being a strong, supportive leader. If my team had a question, I answered it. If they hit a roadblock, I cleared it. I wanted them to succeed, and I thought my job was to make their jobs easier.

But here’s what I didn’t realize—every time I solved a problem for them, I was quietly eroding their confidence. Instead of stepping up and finding solutions, they defaulted to me. Not because they weren’t capable, but because I had trained them to rely on me.

And here’s the kicker: The more I helped, the more overwhelmed I became. I was drowning in tasks that weren’t mine to handle. My time disappeared into fixing things I shouldn’t have been fixing. Meanwhile, my team wasn’t growing, and neither was the business.

I thought I was empowering them. I was actually holding them back.

That’s when I made a shift. Instead of trying to be the answer to every problem, I started creating space for my team to step up and own their work. And that’s when I finally stepped into real leadership.

The Solution: How to Lead by Doing Less (Without Abandoning Your Team)

Once I realized that my constant “helping” was actually holding my team back, I made a shift. Instead of jumping in to fix everything, I started leading in a way that encouraged independence, problem-solving, and real growth.

Here’s what changed:

1️⃣ Ask, Don’t Answer – Give Them the Opportunity to Think

I stopped giving immediate answers and started asking, “What do you think we should do?”

At first, I worried this would slow things down. But what actually happened? Their answers were almost always better than mine. They were closer to the work, had a fresh perspective, and came up with ideas I never would have thought of.

Then, something even more interesting happened. As I got busier and less available, my absence became a learning tool. When they couldn’t get me, they figured things out on their own—and most of the time, their solutions were just as good, if not better, than what I would have suggested.

That’s when I realized I didn’t need to be available all the time. In fact, the less they depended on me, the more free I felt to focus on bigger-picture growth rather than everyday fires.

2️⃣ Set Clear Expectations – Then Get Out of the Way

A team that knows the goal and the guardrails doesn’t need constant supervision.

I started focusing on setting clear expectations—what success looked like, what decisions they could make without me, and where I expected them to take ownership. Once I did that, I got out of the way.

The result? They didn’t just step up—they thrived.

3️⃣ Create Systems, Not Just Solutions

Instead of answering the same questions over and over, I started creating systems that empowered my team to find answers on their own.

✅ Standard operating procedures (SOPs) so they had a reference point.

✅ Decision-making frameworks so they knew when to move forward without me.

✅ A culture where mistakes weren’t punished, but learned from.

The less I micromanaged, the stronger my team became—and the more freedom I had to step back, knowing they could handle things without me.

Call to Action: Join the Conversation

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, constantly answering questions, and struggling to step away from your business, I’ve been there. The good news? You don’t have to do it all to be a great leader. In fact, the less you do for your team, the stronger they become.

Want more real-world strategies for leading, scaling, and building a business that doesn’t rely on you 24/7? Join my free Facebook group, where we talk about leadership, systems, and scaling without burnout.

🔹 Click here to join the group and let’s build something that works—without running yourself into the ground.