From Hands-On to High-Level Leadership
When I first met Stuart, he was buzzing with opportunity - and utterly exhausted.
He was part of a dynamic team, building exactly what he had envisioned, yet he found himself constantly thinking about work. “Why does this feel so exhausting when it’s exactly what I wanted?” he asked.
As we unpacked his role, a clear pattern emerged: Stuart was involved in too much. He was handling too many decisions and jumping in at every inflection point. While each task felt small on its own, the cumulative energy was creating an unsustainable load, even for someone as capable as him.
I see this a lot in my clients—highly capable, highly motivated, and taking on too much.
For founders or those stepping up into a new role, this hands-on approach is often necessary in the beginning, when there are fewer people to share the load. But the “do-it-all” mindset can linger long after the company has grown.
Stuart’s business had evolved exponentially, but his habits hadn’t. While he was leading the company, he was still operating as if he were managing each project. He realised he needed to shift from technical expert to effective leader and step into his potential as a visionary.
This realisation was Stuart’s turning point.
Once he understood that his company needed him to lead rather than manage, he began to define what that leadership looked like. Through our work, he set boundaries around his availability, delegated responsibilities to his team, and focused on core leadership tasks. The shift wasn’t instantaneous—transformations take time, and letting go of familiar tasks can be hard. After all, we all like to feel needed!
But as Stuart embraced his new role, clarity and calm began to replace his overwhelm.
Do you resonate with his story? Here are a few questions to consider for your leadership:
Are you spending more time in operational details than guiding your team strategically?
What does your business or team truly need from you right now to thrive?
Are you creating space for middle managers to lead, or are you stepping in too often?
How do you want to show up as a leader beyond just “tasks”?
Reflect on how these questions apply to your role. Remember that what got you here won’t get you to the next level. Your leadership has to evolve.
Transitioning from hands-on involvement to strategic leadership is not just a shift in action but in mindset. Like Stuart, take the time to see the forest for the trees - you may just find the clarity and calm you’ve been searching for.
*Thank you Stuart for giving me permission to write this, name changed for confidentiality.
I’m Sally and I work with senior leaders who want to feel more confident about their leadership. Book in for a complimentary Leadership Transformation Session