How do you know if your leadership style is actually working for you? This stuff can get pretty complex, but there’s one thing you can consider now that’ll give you a decent approximation of your odds for success or failure. And it all revolves around overinvolvement.
Overinvolved leaders are those who insist on working in the weeds rather than maintaining a sky-level view of things. Don’t get us wrong; there’s no blame here. We often think that getting our hands dirty is a demonstration of commitment and understanding of the nitty gritty components of a project or process. But the reality is that this practice often backfires.
On one level, employees often misread your good intentions as an unnecessary encroachment on their territory, on the work you want them to take ownership of. And encroachment reeks of mistrust. You’re inadvertently telling your employees you don’t think they’re capable of making effective decisions. In other words, you’re setting yourself up to tank your employees’ morale and to become resentful of you and the work they’re doing.
On another level, taking the micro-view sends you down the path toward burnout. You’re allowing yourself to be pulled in a direction devoid of long-term, big-picture perspective. That means when it’s time to make key decisions, you might struggle to see through the fog and achieve enough clarity to move in the most productive direction possible. It’s only a matter of time before you see your mistakes mounting alongside the work it takes to correct them. Simply put, this is an unsustainable model that sets you up for exhaustion. Think of it like a downward spiral, and the only way to improve things is to do something different. It seems like common sense, but it’s true nonetheless. Nothing will change until you make a different choice.
So, what’s the alternative. Become less involved! This idea might sound absurd at first, but by pulling back and focusing on developing those underneath you to be effective decision makers and problem solvers, you save yourself from the day-to-day headache, and you can at long lost achieve that wide-angle view you need to propel your company forward in the right direction. On top of that, your employees will thank you. They’re more likely to feel trusted and empowered to accomplish great things for your organization. That’s all because you gave yourself permission to let go, to delegate.
Curious about effective delegation strategies? Click here to learn more.
