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Don’t be the hero in your team

You are the problem solver in your team. The moment someone starts a sentence with “I’m wondering how…” or “I don’t understand why…” you are there to help. With a few keystrokes on their keyboard you are solving the hardest problems in your team. For every complex problem you are the ‘go-to’ guy. You are really indispensable. Without you the team is lost and they are all fearing the day you’ll leave…

You are truly the hero in your team. You are feeling great about the value you add to the team and the way you can help everyone. You rock!!!!

Do you recognize this?

Unfortunately I have bad news for you. This is not good at all. By taking on all the hard challenges and solving the problems for your team, you take away their opportunities to grow. You are creating a mindset where nobody even tries to tackle a problem. Instead they immediately face towards you… This is not a healthy situation, your team gets more and more dependent on you. No one will step up as long as you keep showing the same behavior.

It’s time for change. Become a mentor for your team, give help when asked for but don’t offer solutions on a silver plate. Give them all the opportunities to learn and grow.

Make yourself dispensable. Don’t be the hero in your team…

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