The Secret of Letting Go
Leadership in 180 Seconds: 14 Secrets of Influential Leadersv
True leadership isn’t about clinging to your team—it’s about empowering them to grow and evolve, even if it means they might leave. In this episode, explore the surprising strength that comes from letting go, how relinquishing control can actually elevate your influence, and why the best leaders help others soar, even when it means watching them fly off on their own.
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One of the toughest lessons I’ve had to learn as a leader? The secret of letting go.
It might sound counterintuitive, but the truth is, empowering people means allowing them to leave. When you help your team grow, you create opportunities for them to move on to new challenges. And in doing so, you unlock a level of influence that goes beyond simple retention.
It’s hard, though, right? We often think that a great leader is someone who has a steady, loyal team that sticks together. But in reality, the best leaders know how to invest in people for their growth, not for the leader's benefit. They empower others to stretch, to learn, and sometimes that means, to fly away from the nest.
I have led some large teams and that invariably means that I have had countless people leave for various reasons and I learnt this lesson by mistake. I had a team where another person I had poured effort into was leaving. I had a weird brain wave. I decided to genuinely celebrate them as they moved on. To praise them for everything they did and to encourage them to ‘go forth and conquer’. Well, the results were entirely unexpected. That person became one of my greatest long term friends. And it was obvious that the rest of the team felt it too. They saw my empowerment in action and they felt it. The sub conscious message was this: You are not a part of this team to be controlled by me. You are an important and empowered part of this team for as long as you want to be.
When you let go of the fear of losing people, you embrace the power of trust. You trust that by investing in their development, even if it means they move on, you’re building something greater than just a loyal team. You’re building relationships that will follow them wherever they go.
John Maxwell says, “The people you lead today might not be the ones you lead tomorrow. But if you’ve led them well, they’ll be better for it, and so will you.”
So here’s the challenge: how can you embrace the freedom that comes from letting go? Instead of worrying about losing your best people, think about how you can empower them to become their best selves. When you stop trying to hold on to people, you’ll find that your influence will grow—both in their lives and in your own.
Let them go, and let them grow. Empower your team, and watch as your leadership influence soars.