The Leadership Dilemma: Are You Leading or Just Keeping the Trains Running?

You’re juggling 47 priorities and answering Slacks while microwaving lunch.

You’re keeping the trains running on time.

But let me ask you something:

When was the last time you stepped off the platform and looked at where the train is even going?

This isn’t a knock on management. Management matters - a lot.
You need someone making sure the operations are humming, deadlines are hit, systems work. That’s what keeps things from falling apart.

But leadership? Leadership is about direction. Vision. Growth. Risk. Culture.
It’s about asking: Are we solving the right problems? Are we growing the people around us? Are we building something that lasts?

Managing vs. Leading: It’s not either/or. It’s both/and.

We’re not here to tell you to stop managing and “just be a visionary.” That’s not real life.

But if you’re spending 95% of your energy keeping things running... there’s no space left to lead.

It’s like trying to grow a garden but only focusing on the watering schedule. Eventually, you need to look up and notice that half the plants are dying, weeds are taking over, and the soil’s not working.

Great leaders know how to manage. But they also know when to zoom out. And it’s how you make a difference. 

How to shift back into leadership mode.

Start here:

1. Audit your time.
   Track your calendar for a week. How much time are you spending on tactics and operations compared to team development, culture, strategy, and coaching? Is that ratio helping your team grow or just survive?
   
   
2. Delegate to develop.
   Don’t just delegate tasks, delegate ownership. Let someone else run the meeting. Ask someone else to create the draft. It’s not lazy, it’s leadership.
   
   
3. Make space for hard conversations.
   Managing avoids conflict. Leading leans in. If there are things going unsaid on your team, that’s a clue: leadership is needed here.
   
   
4. Protect time to think.
   Block off time each week just to reflect. What’s working? What’s stuck? What kind of leader does your team need right now? Growing the team IS your job, so taking time to reflect on that each week is something that belongs on your to do list.
   
   

You don’t have to do this alone.

In our Empowered Leader I program, we help you figure out your own leadership-to-management ratio—and how to adjust it based on what your team actually needs to level up.

If you're ready to stop chasing your calendar and start leading with clarity, this is your moment.

Let’s build the muscle.