The Biggest "Leader" Problem I See
Imagine…the sales person is too busy to meet with a customer.
The HR manager is too busy to post the latest job opening.
The finance manager is too busy to close the books.
Sounds crazy, right?
Well, that’s what I see happening every day - with leaders.
The biggest leadership problem I see, over and over again, is this:
Leaders are too busy doing the work to actually lead.
They’ve got good intentions. They care deeply. They want things done right. But in trying to hold everything together, they end up holding their team back.
And it always leads to the same place: no accountability, no growth, and a frustrated leader who feels like they’re carrying the entire business on their shoulders.
The Real Reason Leaders Don’t Hold Others Accountable
It’s not a lack of care, it’s a lack of capacity.
When you’re buried in work, you stop leading and start managing. You react instead of directing. You fix instead of coaching.
You tell yourself, “I’ll deal with that later,” or “It’s faster if I just do it myself.”
But over time, that becomes your operating system.
And it sends a clear message to your team: You don’t really have to own this...because I will.
That’s how accountability quietly disappears...not through neglect, but through busyness.
The Hidden Cost of Doing It Yourself
When you’re too busy to lead, you lose more than time, you lose trust and influence and impact.
Your team stops learning because you’ve stopped teaching.
They stop stepping up because you keep stepping in.
And before long, you’re surrounded by people who wait for direction instead of taking initiative.
That’s not leadership. That’s dependency.
How to Break the Cycle
If this sounds familiar, here’s the good news: it’s fixable.
But it starts with a mindset shift, not more hours.
-
Stop solving everything yourself.
When someone brings you a problem, resist the urge to fix it.
Instead, ask: “What do you think we should do?”
Your goal isn’t to have all the answers, it’s to build a team that can think. -
Block time for leadership.
Put coaching, one-on-ones, and accountability check-ins on your calendar.
If it’s not scheduled, it’s optional, and leadership should never be optional. -
Clarify ownership.
When you assign something, define success clearly: what’s the outcome, and when is it due?
Then, let them own it. Don’t touch it until it’s time to review results or have a check-in meeting. If someone is off-track, coach them...don't gloss over it.
Do Less. Lead More.
Great leaders aren’t the busiest people in the room, they’re the most focused.
They know that their highest value isn’t in doing the work. It’s in building the people who do the work.
So if you’re too busy to lead, pause and ask yourself:
Am I building a team or just managing one?
Because real leadership isn’t about carrying the load.
It’s about creating people who can carry it with you.
Ryan Giles
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