What Holds Leaders Back

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In an article in the Harvard Business Review, Muriel M. Wilkins wrote about the hidden beliefs that hold leaders back. It was a thought-provoking take.

Every leader hits a wall. They struggle to scale, motivate, or persuade. Most of the time, we look to what she calls “external blockers,” such as organizational bureaucracy or employee attitudes. Anything but ourselves. Or as I have often described it (though far from original with me), we never think the problem is in the room.

Yet Wilkins writes that in the two decades she has spent coaching hundreds of executives across multiple industries, she has found that the biggest limiting factors lie within. Unproductive beliefs she calls “hidden blockers.” Why hidden? “Because these blockers are so ingrained and habitual that most of us aren’t even aware that they exist,” she writes. “But they are there, quietly shaping every aspect of how we think, feel, and act.”

Of the seven she outlined, three stood out to me as particularly present in the lives of many, if not most, leaders I have encountered. I certainly know how seductive they can be for me.

1. I need to be involved.

This is the belief that we need to be a part of every detail at virtually every level. Translation? Micromanagement—and micromanagement leads to bottlenecked decisions. There are many ways we rationalize this hidden blocker, the most common being the belief that if it is going to be done right, or well, we’ll have to do it ourselves. A less noble motivation could simply be the desire to control.

2. I know I’m right.

It’s easy for a leader to begin to think that they are always the smartest person in the room, or at least the most informed. This leads to the belief that you – and only you – know the solution to the challenge at hand. As Wilkins notes, this “shuts down collaboration, causes you to dismiss input, and leads to missed opportunities and reduced innovation.” The longer you lead an organization, the trickier this blocker can become. On the one hand, you have experiences that others don’t, and those experiences should be valued and considered. On the other hand, learned experiences can lose their value as context and challenges change.

3. If I can do it, so can you.

Nothing is easier to believe than the idea that someone else’s performance should be like yours. “If I can understand this, why can’t they?” “It only took me two hours, so why did it take them three?” This can lead to unrealistic expectations. But worse, it can lead to stifling what that person is able to do in ways that go far beyond your own abilities. To use the biblical metaphor, if I judge you as a hand by what a hand can do, I miss what someone else – as a foot – can do as a foot.

So what beats the blockers?

1. Delegate responsibility and authority.

Instead of always needing to be involved, delegate both responsibility and authority. Delegating responsibility is handing over the task at hand; delegating authority means handing over the task at hand and the decision-making authority necessary for managing the task. Step in only when truly needed. I have learned to intervene on issues related to vision and values, or when my background and experience run so deep that I simply cannot let a costly mistake be repeated out of ignorance. But when it falls outside of those parameters, I’ll often say, “Well, I wouldn’t do it that way, but you’re in charge!” And the times they don’t do it “my way” usually turn out just fine.

2. Develop a teachable spirit.

Instead of always thinking you’re right, intentionally adopt a teachable spirit. Many leaders would say that they already have. They read books, listen to podcasts, attend conferences... but then they take all of their personal research, process it internally, and descend from Mt. Sinai ready to announce their decision. When they engage a team, it is to shoot down alternate views and to convince them of buying into where you have landed. That is not the same as a teachable spirit. Yes, a teachable spirit does its homework, and certainly spends time processing it, but then surfaces to “test” it out and learn from others interacting with the same material. You truly determine to be not only a learner, but rather a listener.

3. Determine to learn about each person’s uniqueness.

Instead of seeing yourself in every other person, determine to learn about each person’s uniqueness and the importance of their contribution. One way of doing this is to become aware of their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator—whether they are an extrovert or an introvert, intuitive or judging. The enneagram can also serve. Most leaders tend to be “eights.” Knowing what being an “eight” means, and how much you may need, say, a “nine,” can be eye-opening.

James Emery White

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.