Why the Results You Want Require More Than Just Delegation"

The Pattern That’s Wearing You Down

A few weeks ago, I walked out of a client session with a bit of a smile on my face. What we discussed was very familiar to me, and we were going to solve his dilemma. See if this resonates with you…

I had just heard my amazing CEO client—sharp, driven, respected—describe falling into the same trap I knew all too well from my own career:

Trying to be the emotional and motivational engine for a team that was perfectly capable… but not emotionally invested.

He was saying all the right things in our session:

• How he truly cares about his people
  
• How he wants to help them grow and achieve their potential
  
• How he knows they can do better
  
• How their success is important to him and his firm
  

Yet, he kept asking, “Why don’t they step up?” “Why do I always have to ask them for more?”
And I kept hearing, “Why am I still carrying all of this alone?”

That moment reminded me of something I had...

My mid-to-late 20s were a time in my life when I thought I was on the right path. I was told from a young age to do well in school, go to college, get a good job, and if you were lucky enough to make $100k+, you'd have made it.

So, I worked hard. Used my chemistry degree from CWRU to find work while I pursued a master's degree in athletic coaching (a true passion). Now, coaching didn't pay as much as working in science, so I ended up staying in science, as I saw it as the fastest way to reach $100,000+. 

I did it! I made it to my salary goal, and then...

I looked around at my life and realized something strange.
By every external measure—I had made it.

Good, stable, steady income.
Nice home.
Nice cars.
Credibility.
Respect.
The kind of “success” that younger me never truly thought possible.

And yet... there was this quiet, gnawing question in the background:

“Is this it?”

Not because I was ungrateful.
But because I was unfinished.
Because success had started to feel like a prison ma...