One common myth about leadership is that only leaders should take charge of everything—whether it’s making decisions or ensuring smooth operations.

But is this really the right way to build a well-trained team?

True leadership often means stepping back and allowing junior employees to take charge. Leaders should also be there to support their team when necessary.

I saw this happen when I hired a new team leader with great ideas and energy. I had two choices: control everything myself or trust them to do their job. I decided to trust them, and it made a big difference.

Encouraging Independence in Your Team

Micromanaging every aspect of your organisation can stifle creativity among employees! It will only make things worse by slowing down work, killing creativity and more. So, what are the best and practical steps you can take as a leader?

As a leader, I stepped back and watched my team leader handle problems. Unlike other bosses, I didn’t control them. Instead I supported them and let them make the choices they believed were best for their team.

Some team members did really well, showing they could handle their work and also help and inspire others. By stepping back, I let them think for themselves, come up with new ideas, and take charge.

I wasn’t gone completely. When things went wrong, I stepped in to help—giving advice, asking the right questions, and offering support. Then, I stepped back again. This way, the team had help when needed but still learned to work on their own.

Building a Culture of Ownership

When your team loves what they do, they don’t quit when things go wrong. They stay calm, work through problems, and keep improving. Seeing this makes you even prouder. They genuinely care about what they do.

The best part is that the team lead I hired gave his all to make this system work. He became a strong leader who handled the team well without me having to interfere all the time.

I couldn’t just sit back and watch my team struggle. As a leader, I stepped in when they needed my guidance.

How to Retain High Performance Without Disrupting the Team Unity

Most of my team handled their freedom well, but one person was growing much faster than the others. This became a problem because if one person gets too far ahead while others struggle, it can make the team feel unbalanced or even upset some members.

I knew I had to fix this before it became a big problem. Instead of slowing them down, I found a way to use their growth to help the whole team. Here’s what I did:

• Pairing Them with Junior Members: Instead of letting them work alone, I asked them to help and teach teammates who had less experience. This way, everyone learned and improved together.
• Shifting Their Mindset: I showed them that success isn’t just about doing well alone but also about helping others grow. Their progress became part of the whole team’s success.
• Encouraging Knowledge Sharing: We set up team sessions where this top performer could share tips and problem-solving tricks with everyone. This kept them excited and helped the whole team work better together.

By doing this, the challenge turned into a good thing. The top performer kept improving, but they also helped the whole team grow instead of leaving them behind.

It’s All About Finding the Sweet Spot in Balancing Autonomy and Leadership Support

A good leader knows when to give freedom and when to step in. Letting people make their own choices helps them grow, but staying too far away can cause confusion. The goal is to make sure everyone feels trusted and supported at the same time.

Here are some simple rules to help give freedom while still keeping things on track:

1. Trust but Verify: Let employees do their work on their own, but check in sometimes to make sure everything is going the right way.
2. Be Available, Not Overbearing: Make sure your team knows they can ask for help without feeling like you're always watching them.
3. Encourage Peer Leadership: Encourage team members to help and learn from each other so they don’t always have to rely on one leader.
4. Recognize When to Step In: If someone is struggling, step in to help and guide them, then let them try again on their own.
5. Align Individual Growth with Team Success: Make sure everyone's growth helps the whole team, not just one person.

A good leader knows when to step back and when to help. Trusting your team makes them feel confident and responsible. But being there when they need support ensures no one feels lost. Balance is the key to great leadership.

True leadership means giving people space to grow while still being there to help when needed. When leaders trust their team and offer support, everyone gets better and stronger together.