"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." ~ Princess Leia Organa As leaders, it can be very tempting to keep it all and do all the things. Sometimes we don't delegate, partner, or even collaborate because we lose some control over the situation. If we're being honest (and at the No More Leadership BS recording studio, we're always honest) there is no person who is good at or gets energy from everything. There are people who are embarrassingly talented as actors, singers, they're attractive, they're fit, and they STILL can't do everything well. When we are high-functioning humans, here are some things we can do to get a better grip on our reality: 1. Letting go of control: proper delegation can empower your team and reach and surpass goals more quickly 2. Saying "no" to unnecessary meetings: it can feel great to be so frickin' important to be invited to every meeting, but is that a good use of your time? You can politely decline or even suggest someone else on your team can attend as a portion of their professional development. 3. Embracing a people-oriented focus: there is no measure of team effectiveness that does not involve people. When people are not the focus, they will likely not participate as fully as possible. 4. Finding your purpose: when people are working toward a specific and known purpose, they tend to be more effective. Without that, they're usually doing a job and little more We humans are not octopi. We can only handle so much. This is why effective leaders are skilled at empowering others and helping them thrive. This is not instead of, but in addition to. If there is high turnover, it's a great indicator of poor engagement and low productivity. The No More Leadership BS team offers insight and action on how to be an effective leader who is able to get a grip while simultaneously letting go.