In most organizations today, there’s only one way to move up: you have to become a leader.

If you’re good at your job, if you’re technically strong, if you deliver results — you eventually get promoted. And that promotion usually comes with people. Suddenly, you’re not just doing the work; you’re responsible for others doing it.

But here’s the problem: not everyone wants to lead people.
And that’s okay.

Ownership requires freedom — the freedom to make decisions, solve problems, and even make mistakes. If every step requires your approval, your team isn’t leading anything. They’re just following instructions.

Dictator micromanagers crush teams with control. Accidental micromanagers smother them with help. Both kill accountability and performance.

It sounds strange, doesn’t it? How can being “irrelevant” possibly make you more valuable? But that’s exactly the paradox of leadership I learned through hard experience.

The real hero move is making yourself less central, not more. It’s ensuring that when you step away, your team keeps moving forward — maybe even faster. It’s developing people so well that you don’t need to be in the room for the work to thrive.

So next time you catch yourself trying to be the hero, stop. Ask instead: How can I create the space for someone else to rise?

That’s the leadership story worth telling.

“How well can my team move forward if I’m not there?”

If the answer makes you uneasy, you’re not alone. Letting go is uncomfortable. But it’s the only way to build a team that doesn’t need a hero—just a leader who trusts them to lead.