Sparking Leadership #9: Are you still leading like the person you were 5 years ago?

Earlier in my leadership career, I believed that a good manager was always present. Always available, always stepping in for everyone, always solving.

So that's what I did: I fixed, anticipated, advised, protected. My team was happy, the work got done, and I earned the nickname “mamager.”

But here’s the truth I only saw later: They weren’t growing. I was accidentally holding them back. And when I eventually left, they struggled to adapt.

Lesson learned: I had to let go - of control, of being the fixer, of needing to add value to every idea.

🧠 Marshall Goldsmith's "Fallacy of Adding Too Much Value"

Marshall Goldsmith calls this "the fallacy of adding too much value":

• By adding value you kill the ownership of other peoples ideas. When you add to someone's idea, it no longer feels like their idea.

• Letting go doesn't mean stepping away. It means stepping back, so others can step forward. It means thinking about legacy, not just leadership.

💡How do you know when it’s time to evolve your leadership style?

Watch for signs like:

❌ You’re always the bottleneck.

❌ Your team defers to you instead of challenging you.

❌ New ideas dry up - or only come from you.

❌ Your high performers are restless or disengaged.

❌ You’re exhausted… but can’t seem to delegate.

These are often signals that your leadership style needs to shift - not because it was wrong, but because it’s no longer what’s needed.

🔨How to let go & evolve as a leader (or what I try to remind myself to do):

✅ Practice not jumping in with answers.

✅ Give your team stretch opportunities, even if they’re not “ready.”

✅ Ask questions instead of giving feedback.

✅ Never forget to give credit openly and publicly.

By building a strong team, you are creating your succession plan, more opportunities for your team to grow and you're leaving behind a powerful legacy for the future.

TL;DR

Leadership isn’t a fixed identity. It’s a role that evolves. What made you successful once might be what limits you now.

So ask yourself:

❓What part of your leadership style (and habits) do you need to change in order to grow?

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🌟Sparking Leadership is a weekly series on human-centered, sustainable #leadership. Follow for real talk and practical tools. In the meantime, lead with spark!

* Below you see a snippet from Marshall Goldsmith's presentation at the London Business Forum where he talked about his book "What Got Here Won't Get You There". Highly recommend to watch the whole thing on YouTube and read the book for some great insights.