Brilliant, exhausted and doing everyone’s job but their own

Over the past six months, I’ve worked with a lot of expert managers. Exec chefs. Programme directors. Heads of IT, Marketing, HR and Finance.

Almost all of them are delivering great results. All of them are juggling multiple projects. All of them are in a regular state of overwhelm. Long hours. Missed family events. Cancelled plans with friends. Not enough sleep, not enough exercise.

Most telling of all, every one of them has a nagging sense that their people could be doing more. They just can’t put their finger on why they aren’t.

Sound familiar?

Here’s what’s usually going on. They’re doing some of their own job, and a lot of the jobs of the people who work for them.

Think about what that costs your organisation.

They never get the time or headspace to work on strategy, innovation or leading change properly. This stuff keeps getting pushed to “next week”.

Their good people don’t get the development or stretch they deserve. They’re frustrated that their boss keeps sticking their oar in, and some of them will eventually leave because of it.

Their not-so-good people are happily ticking along with their heads below the parapet. They’re getting away with it, because a boss who’s doing everyone else’s job has no time left to performance manage anyone.

If that’s you, here are three shifts to make this week.

1. Ask yourself one question. What am I doing right now that someone in my team could do 80% as well? Write the list. You’ll be surprised how long it gets. Then hand one thing over before Friday.

2. Challenge yourself to hand over the whole thing, decisions included. Most expert managers delegate the task and keep the decisions. Then wonder why everything still comes back to them. Be clear about what good looks like and when it’s due, then step back. Agree when you’ll check in, and stick to it.

3. Diary the work only you can do. Block time for strategy and for the performance conversations you’ve been putting off, and protect it like you’d protect a client meeting. If it isn’t in the diary, the detail will swallow it.

None of this is easy for someone whose whole career has been built on being the expert. Letting go can feel like losing the thing that made you good. Stick with it. Your good people will grow, those who aren’t ready to perform at the required level will move on, and you’ll finally have the time to lead.

If this is happening in your organisation, drop me a message, and I’ll share how we help transform your leaders.