Work as a hobby

I once had a boss who seemed always to be working. She was the founder of the organization, so of course, she carried more responsibility and commitment than the rest of the team.  

However, the longer I worked there, I realized that her dedication to the mission was on another (unrealistic) level. We would literally receive emails from her at all hours of the night, nearly every night. I assumed she just had so much to do to keep the organization moving that she had to send emails at 3:00 a.m. I soon realized it wasn’t just about work, it was about trust.  

She didn’t trust anyone else to take things off her plate. Instead of delegating, she carried everything herself. And the more she did, the less I felt empowered to step up. I stopped asking her if there was something more I could do because the answer had always been, "no." I was there a short time before I removed myself from that unhealthy, stifling environment.   

When people allow work to become their whole world, burnout is inevitable. (It's a large part of why that organization is no longer around.) But it doesn’t just hurt the leader. It sends a subtle message to the team: “I don’t trust you.” That dynamic quietly (yet loudly at the same time) eats away at morale. People either pull back — “Why bother if she’ll redo it anyway?”— or they try to keep up with the same unsustainable pace. I did both, but not for long. Neither one leads to a culture of opportunity or empowerment.  

Leadership isn’t about proving how much you can handle, but rather it’s about creating the conditions for others to thrive. That means sharing the load, trusting people with real ownership, and modeling that balance. 

A few questions worth asking yourself: 

• Am I holding onto work because it feels easier than letting someone else try? 

• What assumptions am I making about delegation? Are they serving me? 

• If I trusted my team fully, what would change in the way I lead? 

• WHY don’t I trust him/her/them?  

Your team needs a leader who believes in them enough to let go. If you’ve been carrying too much on your shoulders, maybe it’s time for a different way forward. Maybe it’s time to have some conversations.  

---

I’d love to explore your answers to those questions and how I could serve you and your team. If you're ready to grow your people with intention, build a culture that scales, and lead with clarity, contact Tina.