One of the questions I’ve been reflecting on recently is this: “Am I creating confident decision-makers—or careful permission-seekers?”
It’s not always an easy question to answer.
Many of us genuinely want people to think for themselves. Yet our behaviours can unintentionally send a different message.
- When we rework every document.
- When we approve every email.
- When we attend every meeting.
- When we answer every question immediately.
We’re quietly teaching our teams where the real authority sits. With us.
That creates dependence, even when our intention is empowerment.
One of the greatest leadership lessons I’ve learned is that confidence grows through experience.
People become better decision-makers by making decisions.
Reality is that sometimes they’ll get them right and sometimes they’ll learn something valuable.
Both outcomes build capability.
Our role isn’t to remove every possibility of failure. It’s to create an environment where learning is safe, expectations are clear and judgement improves over time.
As you head into the weekend, I’d encourage you to reflect on this question: “What decision are you still making today that someone on your team could make six months from now—if you started developing them today?”
Have a wonderful weekend.
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