Josh's Weekly Insights - August 20, 2025

“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

-Galileo Galilei

The truth of the world we live in is that it is not easy. Everything is complex and has varying shades. Even a truth to one person isn’t a truth to another because of their life experience and knowledge.

However, often when I am working with leaders they say they operate the way they do to “make it easy on my team”. I think this misses a fundamental truth of leadership and the human experience. Our goal shouldn’t be to make life easy for the people around us. We should be focused on helping them operate in a world that isn’t going to be easy on them. Preparing our team (or family) to operate without needing to rely on us as a crutch will be one of the most valuable things we can do for them.

However, many of us like to be the super hero. We like to have our team lean on us with all their questions or struggles because it signals to our brain that we are “valuable” to them. We think that is a sign that we are helpful and important.

I was in a coaching session recently and one of the leaders I was coaching couldn’t recognize that her team being able to operate at a high level without her present was the best sign possible. It showed that she had prepared her team to be able to function even when she steps away or moves into a better position. She was so focused on her fear which was telling her, “if they can operate without me while I am out on leave, then the organization doesn’t need me.” 

My encouragement is to avoid that trap. Recognize that pouring into others means pushing them into uncomfortable situations and challenging them to rise up in those moments. Setting them up for success isn’t helping them grow dependent on you, it is helping them realize they can solve problems themselves.

If you want to help people around you, don’t be a super hero. Be a great question asker. By that, I mean ask them questions that let them solve their own problems. In the end, that will make you someone they respect and appreciate.

Now get out there and crush your week!