Stop Trying to Be the Sun.
We need to have a serious conversation about ego.
Most leaders walk into the office thinking they are the sun - that their energy, their speeches, and their "motivation" are the only reasons the team grows. It’s the biggest lie in business.
I saw a quote recently that sums up my entire philosophy: "I don't force them to grow, I remove what stops them."
That is the game. That is the whole game.
When you try to force growth, you are managing out of insecurity. You’re micromanaging because you think you know better. You’re adding layers of approval because you don’t trust your hiring. You are suffocating the talent you paid good money to acquire.
Real leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room or the "hero" who saves the project at the 11th hour. Real leadership is being the janitor.
Your job is to look at your team and ask, "What is in your way?" Sometimes, the answer is a broken software system. Sometimes, it’s a pointless weekly meeting. And sometimes - and this is the part most of you are too scared to face - the "weed" stopping the growth is a toxic manager you’re keeping around because they hit their KPIs.
If you want an empire, stop trying to pull the plants up by their stems to make them taller. You’ll just kill them. Clear the dirt, remove the rocks, get the hell out of the way, and watch what happens. Try this:
The "Pebble in the Shoe" Audit: Schedule 15 minutes with each of your direct reports this week. Ask one question: "What is the stupidest thing I make you do that stops you from doing your actual job?" Then, actually kill that process.
Audit the "Culture Killers": Identify the one person on your team who brings in revenue but makes everyone else miserable. Put them on a remediation coaching plan or fire them. You cannot grow a prize garden with poison ivy in the middle of it.
