Going Above and Beyond is Killing Your Company

“The expectation is for you to go above and beyond in this role.” This well-intentioned mentality undermines your entire company and makes you look less competent to others. The fact is the best leaders do their job; nothing more, nothing less.

I can feel your mental pushback from behind my computer screen right now. I got the same initial reaction during a recent client session's group coaching call with leaders. But stick with me; you’ll come around. They did too.

We often hear that leaders need to go above and beyond to be truly effective. After all, many leaders earned their positions by doing just that. However, as you advance in leadership, doing more than your role can actually harm your team and organization.

In practice, it might look like…

• A VP of Sales reaching out directly to sellers asking about specific deals bypassing their managers.

• A plant GM sending out instructions directly to the line.

• A senior executive answering questions from a junior manager.

What’s the problem? I’m just being helpful and “getting things done.”

• Stunting Team Development: By doing the work of others, leaders rob their team of the opportunity to grow and develop. Leaders should focus on developing, delegating, and empowering their junior leaders to take ownership of their roles.

• Undermining Team Trust & Confidence: When leaders take on the tasks of their subordinates, it signals a lack of trust in their junior leader’s abilities. This can lead to demoralization, cause others to view your junior leaders as incompetent, and make employees feel they are not trusted.

• Decreased Organizational Efficiency: When leaders spend time doing the work of their subordinates, they neglect their primary responsibilities, such as strategic planning, vision-setting, and developing others' leadership. They also create organizational confusion and miscommunication.

Leading Yourself

As a leader, reflecting on how you’re managing your responsibilities is essential. Are you doing more than your role requires, stepping into tasks that should belong to others? Are you doing what is comfortable and familiar instead of mastering the foundation of your current role? While well-intentioned, this undermines both your leadership growth and the development of your team. No Limit Leaders stay in their lane, trusting others to do their jobs and focusing on developing them to reach their potential.

Action Steps

1. Self-Evaluation: Identify situations where you’ve taken on tasks beyond your role. Write down instances where you stepped into responsibilities meant for others.

2. Define Your Role: Clearly define your leadership role and responsibilities. What should your focus be, and what should you delegate?

3. Focus on Your Development: Create your own development plan focused on the critical leadership skills appropriate to your level and role.

4. Delegate Effectively: Develop a plan to ensure your team is handling their own responsibilities. Step back, provide support, and focus on their development.

5. Set the Example: Once role clarity, decision boxes and communication expectations are created. Follow the plan and set the example.

Leading Others

We ultimately judge great leaders on the leaders they create. You may know how to do it faster, cheaper, and better. That doesn’t mean you should be doing it. The long-term success of the organization requires leaders to develop capacity in others. When leaders step into roles that don’t belong to them, it creates confusion, undermines trust, and hampers development. By helping your team understand their decision-making boundaries and fostering accountability, you build a culture where everyone can thrive in their position and develop the skills needed for the next level.

Action Steps

1. Clarify Roles: Work with your team members to define their roles and decision-making authority. Ensure they are clear about their responsibilities.

2. Monitor Overreach: Watch for instances where your leaders are stepping beyond their responsibilities. Encourage them to stay focused on their core tasks.

3. Create a Clear Communication Plan: Everyone should understand the regular communication channels and procedures. They also need to know when it’s appropriate to go beyond it.

4. Regular Developmental Coaching: Help your leaders create a development plan for their own growth. There should be an agreement on how you will support and provide accountability.

5. Reinforce Boundaries: Regularly remind your leaders of the importance of role clarity and empower them to hold their teams accountable.

Becoming a No Limit Leader

When I see a leader stepping outside their role, it’s often a clear sign that they lack confidence in their ability to fully own their current responsibilities. Rather than focusing on developing their leadership skills, they retreat to tasks they’re more comfortable with, ultimately hindering their own growth and that of their team. Growth is uncomfortable. It requires courage.

The other situation is that they truly don’t trust their subordinates. In this case, development is even more critical.

No Limit Leaders break through self-imposed barriers to achieve greatness and inspire others to do the same. Leadership is about guiding people, not just managing positions. By fostering role clarity and focusing on development, you empower leaders at every level to grow and reach their full potential, creating a more effective organization.

UNLEASH LEADERSHIP, UNLOCK POTENTIAL

-Sean Patton

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