Letting Go to Grow

Letting go to grow: leaders release control, teams rise.

A practical play to build capacity without burning out

“Letting go isn’t stepping back. It’s stepping up—because your job is to create more problem solvers.” — Eric Wiley

The myth of being in two places at once

If you lead long enough, you hit the same wall: two urgent issues, one calendar, and a voice that says, “Only I can fix this.” That’s Strong Performer’s Disease. It looks like ownership. It functions like a bottleneck.

Great leadership isn’t about touching everything—it’s about building a system that runs without you in the room.

Letting go is a growth strategy

• Scale beats stamina. You can outwork a bad week; you can’t outwork a bad system. When the work depends on you, the ceiling is your time.
• Speed at the edge. The best calls happen closest to the client and the problem. Your role shifts from traffic cop to architect.
• Bench strength is the plan. If the machine only runs when you touch it, you have a dependency—not a business.

The LET‑GROW Framework

• Listen for leverage. Spot work you’re still doing out of habit—approvals, escalations, “needs my eye.” Those are handoff candidates.
• Establish outcomes and guardrails. Define what “done” looks like—metrics, deadlines, non‑negotiables.
• Transfer ownership—visibly. Name the owner and decision rights in one sentence so everyone knows who decides.
• Guide with cadence, not control. Use a steady check‑in rhythm instead of play‑by‑play.
• Observe the numbers, not the method. If the scoreboard is green, resist the urge to rewire their process.

Download, don’t dictate

Run a 30‑minute weekly download with each owner. Same agenda, same expectations:

1. Status: What moved? What didn’t? Green / Yellow / Red.
2. Decisions: What calls did you make? Where do you need air cover?
3. Risks: What could derail us? What’s the riskiest assumption?
4. Numbers: SLA, cycle time, defects, cost per unit—whatever matters.
5. Blockers: What one thing do you need from me this week?

Two rules: the owner speaks first, and you don’t take the keyboard. Coach thinking, not tactics.

Give people bigger shoes—and a runway

People grow by owning outcomes, not by being told what to do. Build guardrails, not guard towers.

• Shadow → Co‑pilot → Own. Walk the handoff in three steps and debrief along the way.
• Shrink the blast radius. Pilot one team, one market, or one month. Pre‑commit to a stop‑loss metric that triggers intervention.
• Invite their spin. Ask for two versions—your standard and their upgrade. Keep the best of both.

Systematize it so it sticks

• Decision rights map: Who decides, who’s consulted, who’s informed—one page per function.
• Owner dashboards: 5–7 metrics per area. In lending: app‑to‑close time, disclosures SLA, UW touches, defect rate, pull‑through, cost per loan, NPS.
• Lightweight playbooks: 70% checklist for the regulatory must‑dos; 30% judgment room.
• After‑Action Reviews: What did we intend? What happened? What will we change? Capture the learning without blame.

A 30‑day plan to let go

Week 1: Pick two areas you’re clutching. Write outcomes and guardrails.

Week 2: Name the owner publicly. Do Shadow → Co‑pilot → Own on one critical task.

Week 3: Run the download rhythm. Stand down unless the stop‑loss trips.

Week 4: Review the numbers. Hold a 15‑minute AAR. Expand the sandbox or tighten the guardrails.

Bottom line

Your highest contribution isn’t solving more problems—it’s creating more problem solvers. Let people figure things out in real time with the right guardrails, and you’ll gain speed, resilience, and capacity.

— Eric Wiley

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Wiley Performance Advisory
Your Wingman on the Next Big Push.