Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajiving. This is the seven minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fello Aledo.
Hello everyone, and welcome to this seven minute leadership podcast. It's episode six oh four. I recently got off a call with a client who said something that stopped me cold, and I have his permission to talk about this. He said, I love my job and I'm really damn good at it. The problem is I have a boss who won't get out of my way, and now I don't want to get up and come to work. That sentence matters not
because it's dramatic, not because it's emotional. It matters because it is the sound of a great employee quietly disengaging. This episode is for two people. It is for the employee who feels boxed in second guest and slowly drained by someone above them. And it's for the leader who might not realize they are the reason someone great is thinking about quitting a job they once loved. So let's start with the employee side. When someone says I love my job and I'm really good at it, that tells
me everything I need to know. This is not laziness, This is not entitlement. This is pride and work, This is ownership. This is someone who wants to contribute and win. The problem is not the work. The problem is friction. And here's the advice I gave him. And if you're in this position, please listen closely. First, name the real issue clearly and professionally. Most people stay vague because they're afraid. They say things like I feel unsupported or I feel micromanaged,
and that language is emotional and easy to dismiss. Instead, get specific, What decisions are being overridden, What work is being redone? What authority do you think you have that you actually do not. Clarity removes drama, vague frustration creates it. Second, have the conversation before resentment does it for you. Resentment is patient. It waits until you're tired, short and sharp. Then it talks for you in ways you cannot take back. The conversation sounds like this. I care about this role.
I take pride in the results. Right now, the way decisions are being handled is slowing me down and affecting my motivation. I want to talk about how we can fix that. This is not an attack. This is ownership. Third, ask one question that changes everything. What does success look like if you fully trust me in this role? That question forces alignment or exposes the lack of it. If the answer is clear, you now have a target. If
the answer is fuzzy, the issue was never you. Fourth, protect your standards even if you cannot change the environment immediately. If you're good at your job, stay good at your job. Do not lower your performance to match someone else's insecurity. That road only ends one way, and it damages your reputation, not theirs. Now, let's flip this to the leader side,
because this is where the real lesson lives. Leaders If someone who loves their job no longer wants to come to work, that is a leadership problem until proven otherwise. So let me say this plainly. Control is not leadership. Hovering is not leadership. Re Checking every move is not leadership. Those behaviors are usually fear wearing a title. Great leaders higher capable people than they give them room to operate. Your job is not to be everywhere. Your job is
to be clear, available, and decisive when needed. If you have someone who is damn good at what they do, your role is to remove obstacles not become one. Ask yourself this tonight. Am I adding value? Or am I adding drag? Am I stepping in because something is broken? Or because I am uncomfortable not being involved? Do my people feel trusted or tolerated? And here's a hard operational truth. Good people do not quit work they love. They quit friction that they cannot fix in the most dangerous part
is this, They often do not complain loudly. They go quiet, they disengage, they stop bringing ideas, they stop pushing, and then one day they leave and leadership act surprised. If you're a leader listening to this, do one thing this week. Ask your strongest performer, where am I getting in your way? And then listen without defending yourself. If you're an employee listening to this, remember this. You're allowed to want autonomy. You're allowed to protect your energy. You're allowed to expect
clarity from leadership. But you also owe it to yourself to speak up before burnout speaks for you. Leadership is not about control. It is about trust, direction, and restraint. And sometimes the most powerful move a leader can make is stepping back. So if this episode felt personal, that's because it's happening everywhere. Good people want to do good work. Leaders either create space for that or they slowly squeeze
it out. Whether you sit in the chair with the title or the chair doing the work, your responsibility is the same. Clarity, ownership, and honest conversation beat silent frustration every time. This has been the seven minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening.
For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.