Have you ever had a manager who was constantly involved in everything you were doing? Always following up on every single step you took? Clinging to their position forever? Once you reach the top, it can be tempting to believe that you are the most important person in the room, the biggest fish in the pond. Wrong: you are the exact opposite!
As you climb higher in the hierarchy, the less you can control, and your primary role becomes trusting and empowering your team. Easier said than done, I know, but it’s the harsh reality. As a sales manager, you don’t sell; you support your team so they can sell. As the head of finance, you don’t do accounting; you ensure your team has the proper skills and tools to do their job. And as a general manager or CEO, there’s nothing left for you to do but create an environment where your team can perform at their very best.
Being a great leader means ensuring that “the show goes on” even when you’re not around. It means bringing the right people onto your team, providing them with an environment where they feel safe and valued, and enabling them to do what you hired them to do: their jobs! I’ve seen many people build entire companies centered around themselves just because they were afraid to lose control and become irrelevant. They all failed. It’s the leaders with no ego and great self-confidence who can make themselves dispensable so that when they leave, the organization continues to thrive.
Ultimately, your job as a leader is to empower your team, cultivate their talents, and make yourself unnecessary in the day-to-day operations. This way, the organization’s success isn’t tied to your presence but to the strength and capabilities of the team you’ve built. By making yourself dispensable, you ensure the organization’s longevity and resilience, proving that true leadership is about fostering independence, not dependence.
