Ep. 2/ letting go, without losing control
But here’s the thing: if you never let go, nothing will ever really happen. Your team will stay small, your growth will be capped, and your own stress levels will skyrocket.
There’s a scene in the movie Finding Nemo where Marlin, the anxious clownfish dad, is frantically trying to protect his son from the dangers of the ocean. When another fish tells him, “You can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him,” it hits hard.
In business, many leaders fall into the “Marlin trap.” It’s tempting to keep a tight grip on every task, every detail, every outcome. After all, you’re the one who built this business from the ground up. You know all the pieces and have often fought tooth and nail to make it to this point. But here’s the thing: if you never let go, nothing will ever really happen. Your team will stay small, your growth will be capped, and your own stress levels will skyrocket.
Letting go doesn’t mean losing control. It means trusting your team to do what they were hired to do, while still maintaining a safety net of accountability that ensures things stay on track. This delicate balance is the key to scaling your business without losing your mind.
Ep.2/
Letting go without losing control
The Micromanagement Myth
Micromanagement is often born out of fear. Fear that if you don’t oversee every detail, something will go wrong. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: micromanaging isn’t about ensuring quality. It’s about control. And it’s doing more harm than good.
When you micromanage, you send a message to your team that you don’t trust them. And when people feel untrusted, they disengage. They stop thinking creatively, stop taking ownership, and start doing the bare minimum to avoid criticism. You might get compliance, but you’ll never get excellence.
So how do you let go of the need to control everything? By shifting your focus from micromanagement to empowerment.
Systems of Feedback and Accountability
Letting go doesn’t mean turning a blind eye. It means setting up systems that allow your team to work independently while still holding them accountable.
Here’s how:
Clear Expectations: Make sure your team knows exactly what’s expected of them. Vague instructions lead to vague results. Clarity is the foundation of accountability.
Regular Check-Ins: Schedule consistent check-ins to review progress, address challenges, and provide feedback. These aren’t micromanagement sessions; they’re opportunities for open dialogue and course correction.
Empower Decision-Making: Give your team the authority to make decisions within their roles. Encourage them to solve problems, take initiative, and learn from their mistakes. This not only builds their confidence but also frees you from being the bottleneck in every process.
Data-Driven Insights: Use data to monitor performance and outcomes. When you have solid metrics in place, you can step back and let the numbers speak. If something’s off, the data will tell you, and you can address it without hovering over your team.
Accountability Loops: Create a culture where accountability is woven into the fabric of your operations. Team members should know that while they have the freedom to execute, they’re also responsible for the results.
The Art of the Long Leash
Think of letting go as giving your team a long leash. They have the freedom to run, explore, and make decisions, but you still hold the end of the leash. If they stray too far off course, you can gently pull them back. This balance allows your team to grow while keeping your business on the path you’ve set.
Remember, your role as a leader is to steer the ship, not row it. By empowering your team and creating systems of feedback and accountability, you can let go without losing control. And when you do, you’ll find that your business doesn’t just survive—it thrives.
