I love to eat and I love to grow things so gardening is right down my alley.  Today I in the garden and was reminded of an important senior level leadership lesson that most mid level leaders have a hard time with.

In a rare moment, I had my garden in great shape all at one time.  Weeds were weeded, fertilizer down, plants watered.  "What else can I do to it to get my tomatoes to grow?", I asked myself.  The answer was simple...nothing.  Just let the tomato plant be a tomato plant.  It was created for this moment.  I just need to get out of the way.  "Doing more" to entertain myself might actually interfere with the work that plant needs to do.  

It's the same way with leading leaders.  Once you hire the right people, give them a clear vision, clear goals, clear boundaries and simple training, get out of their way and let them do it.  Your leaders often won't be at their best as long as you are still driving and instructing and critiquing and...  

Yes, they still need you and yes you will need to step back in along the way.  But if you've hired people who have the potential to be better than you are at the thing you hired them to do (which is your job btw), then give them the basics, get out of their way, let them make some mistakes and watch them grow into what they were created to become.