Hey Leader!
Here’s another newsletter written in advance because I’m on a work-free vacation in Mérida, Mexico. Click here for the full guide on taking your own work-free vacay!
I spent a lot of years making myself essential to things that didn’t actually need me. And I bet you have, too.
Reviewing, approving, editing, deciding
Handling things myself because “it was easier”
Jumping in on emails my team could’ve handled
Owning responsibilities I thought my team wouldn’t like
Responding to 5 am Slack messages (I’m in PT and my team was ET)
I wasn’t being a great leader… I was a reliable bottleneck.
What finally snapped wasn’t the system; it was me.
I didn’t have time to do the work that actually made the biggest impact… or energy left to enjoy the life I’d worked so hard to build.
So I stopped sabotaging myself (& them), and started delegating.
Not the performative kind, where you still hover & re-do everything, or hand off & totally disappear.
The real kind, where I handed off entire categories of work & decision-making with the appropriate scaffolding in place (see the “Try This Today” section below!).
And here’s the amazing part: What I thought was “too much to ask” was actually the opportunity they were waiting for.
Indispensable isn’t a compliment. Delegation isn’t a weakness.
It’s a leadership strategy; one I wish I’d used sooner.
Lead boldly, live fully, & don’t forget to breathe.
In your corner,
Try This Today
Your starting point:
Identify one thing this week that you shouldn’t be the one approving, reviewing, or doing.
Ask yourself: Am I holding onto this because I think they don’t want it, or because I haven’t created the conditions to hand it over?
Let go of one task fully. Don’t hover. Don’t check. Let someone else lead it.
Here’s how to do it well:
Share the project and your expectations with them.
Ask how they want to approach it.
Help them expand on their ideas by asking open-ended questions.
Ask them what their plan is now that you’ve discussed it together.
Ask them when they can get it done by.
Why asking THEM how they want to approach it works:
They’ll likely come up with ideas you'd never think of.
We’re wired to like our own ideas better… so they’ll be more invested in the project because it’s their ideas.
You’ll realize how much more capable your team is than you’ve been giving them credit for.
Your Power Move
Feeling irreplaceable is a trap. Here’s your way out: run a simple dread audit.
Open your calendar.
Mark anything that makes your stomach drop, your energy dip, or your brain fog up.
That’s your clue.
Now ask: Does this really require me? Or have I just always done it?
If it doesn’t, scroll up to Try This Today and use it to offload one or two(!) things that don’t belong to you anymore.
Bonus Tool
Want to unplug without everything falling apart?
Download my Work-Free PTO Planning Guide, the same one I used as Managing Director to take 5+ weeks off a year without chaos.
Behind The Scenes
A peek inside what I’m building — at work & in life!
Work in Progress
Life in Progress
I attended a marketing conference all week in Cancun, México, & loved being in the room with fellow Founders. (And hanging by the pool!)
Unplugged, recharging, and reminding myself that great leadership starts with a well-rested, fully present ME.
Thought For The Week
In Case You Missed It
Just because change is slow doesn’t mean it’s not working. Here’s how senior leaders are creating momentum without burning out.
Only 3% of Italians work long hours. In the U.S.? It’s way more. What if long hours aren't the badge of honor we think they are?
Logging off didn’t mean I actually stopped working. My brain was still racing. Here’s what finally helped me unplug for real.