When Doing It Yourself Feels Easier

"It's just easier if I do it myself" often costs leaders in the long run. This article explores how to turn those moments into coaching, including how to prepare, roleplay, and debrief with newer supervisors.

As managers or business owners, I’m sure we have all thought at some point, “It’s just easier if I do it myself.” And while that might feel true in the moment, choosing to do it yourself will often cost you in the long term. When leaders consistently take over, they train their teams to step back, creating dependency instead of development and bottlenecks instead of growth.

Part of our job as leaders is to teach the people we supervise how to meet expectations. This is something I walk through often with clients who feel stretched thin and frustrated by having to redo work. If we are not teaching or coaching, how can we expect others to consistently rise to those expectations?

Teaching does not just mean explaining the steps. It means explaining the why behind the process or decision.

The next time you feel tempted to take over, consider using that moment as a coaching opportunity. Yes, you may still help complete the task, but spend extra time walking through it together. Two birds, one stone.

Prepare, Roleplay, and Debrief

When working with less experienced supervisors, I am a strong advocate for demonstrating and roleplaying. Simply telling someone what to say in a difficult conversation rarely sticks. When I’m coaching leaders through personnel matters, we always start by meeting beforehand and talking through the logistics. Walking through the conversation beforehand and debriefing afterward can make a world of difference. Who will lead the conversation? What are each of your roles? Why are you addressing the issue this way? This preparation builds confidence and clarity.

After the conversation, debrief. What went according to plan? What did not? How did it feel, and do they feel equipped to handle something similar in the future? This debrief needs just as much thought as the personnel matter you handled together. In those moments, the supervisor is focused on the employee they manage. You, however, are leading two people at once: the employee and the supervisor. Make sure you are meeting the needs of your supervisor, not just the employee they supervise.

Leadership is not about being the most capable person in the room. It is about building capability in others.

Those follow-up discussions tell you whether your supervisor is ready to handle similar conversations independently. And the more capable your team becomes, the more time you gain to focus on the responsibilities that truly require your attention. Leadership is not about being the most capable person in the room. It is about building capability in others.

Beyond Doing It Yourself: A Two-Way Street

Support within a team is a two-way street. You invest in their growth, and they create space for you to lead at the level you are meant to. Growth takes grace, for you as you coach in these moments and for them as they learn to step up to your expectations.

Doing it yourself may feel easier today. Teaching someone else to do it well makes leadership easier tomorrow. I challenge you, the next time you think, “I’ll just do it myself,” to turn that moment of frustration into a coaching moment that has a longer reach than the frustration ever could.

Whether you lead a team here in Yuma or anywhere across the country, if you want support moving from doing it yourself to coaching your supervisors, I'd love to talk. Schedule a consultation.

Let's Talk!