Building Ladders, Not Crutches: A Better Way to Lead

When someone on your team is struggling, the impulse is to jump in and fix it.

You give advice. You offer shortcuts. You start doing the thinking for them.

It feels helpful. But it creates dependency.

And it keeps them stuck.

Great leaders don’t rescue. They build ladders.

They offer time. They help people see what’s possible. They give just enough support to keep things moving forward, but not so much that they remove responsibility.

Development is a process. It takes time.

And it’s worth it.

If someone’s in the pit, don’t climb in after them. Show them the way out — and cheer them on as they climb.