We all enjoy being the supportive leader everyone turns to for help. But what if being too available and helpful could harm your team’s growth? Sometimes, helping too much might not be the best approach.

I recently talked to one of our top managers. Despite being excellent at his job, he found it tough to keep up with his responsibilities.

I was curious about his situation, so I asked. He said his open-door policy, meant to promote collaboration, had caused issues.

Team members were constantly coming to him for help, and he found himself doing their tasks instead of his own. As a result, his workload piled up, and overall team productivity took a nosedive.

Sometimes, it’s about making the team capable of finding solutions on their own.

So, how can leaders help their teams grow without stepping in to fix everything?

The Unintended Consequence of Being Too Helpful

This manager is talented and has always done well in our company. Recently, I saw he wasn’t as productive as before. When I asked him about it, he shared that his open-door policy was making it hard for him to get things done. He thought this would help everyone work together and feel supported, but it made things harder for him.

He wanted to be helpful, but it didn’t work out. He got so many requests for help that he started doing his team’s work. His tasks got delayed, and the whole team’s work slowed down. Helping too much can sometimes backfire.

A Lesson from Experience

When I first became a leader, I wanted to help my team whenever they had problems. I believed I was supporting my team, but my own work was slipping. I learned that while it’s nice to help, teaching them to solve their problems is even more important.

During my conversation with this manager, we talked about the value of teaching our team to solve problems instead of providing easy solutions. When team members learn to manage their challenges, it benefits everyone and increases their involvement in their jobs.

Essential Strategies for Building Independent Thinkers

To help this manager, I shared a simple plan. The goal isn’t to stop helping but to change how we help. Instead of solving problems for others, we should teach them to handle their own. Here’s how we’ll do it:

1. Ask Questions to Understand the Root Issue: When a teammate asks for help, avoid immediately jumping in to solve the problem. Instead, ask questions to learn more about the issue. For instance, you could ask, ‘What steps have you taken?’ or ‘What do you think is the reason for this?’ This helps you understand better and promotes your thinking.
2. Guide Them to Better Solutions: Once you have a better understanding of the problem, help your teammate think of possible solutions. Instead of giving them the answer, ask them for their ideas. You can say, ‘What do you think you can do to fix this?’ This encourages them to find solutions and feel responsible.
3. Encourage Them to Choose and Implement a Solution: After they brainstorm solutions, encourage them to pick the one they like best. Allowing them to make the choice helps build their confidence. You can say, ‘I believe you’ll choose wisely. Go ahead and give it a try!
4. Follow Up to Discuss Outcomes and Learnings: Once your teammate gives their solution a try, make time to review it. Ask what went well, what didn’t, and what they learned. This helps them improve their problem-solving skills and encourages everyone to keep getting better.

Shifting the Leadership Mindset

Leaders don’t need to fix every problem themselves. Instead, they should guide their team to solve problems independently. It’s less about knowing everything and more about asking questions that guide your team to grow and improve.

By focusing less on doing and more on teaching, we help our team learn to solve problems. This not only improves individual performance but also makes the entire team more capable of working together successfully.

Effective leaders show their team how to solve problems instead of solving them. Teaching critical thinking boosts each team member’s confidence and ability.

This strategy creates a supportive team environment where everyone feels appreciated. As the team improves, they become more productive. Asking smart questions helps solve problems and builds a team that can handle challenges as a group.

Are you helping your team grow, or are you making them rely on you too much? Think about how you lead. Are you helping them learn to manage on their own, or are you doing more than necessary?

How do you support your team while also encouraging independence? Share your thoughts!