Want more impact? Let go of more
Time to read: 4 minutes
Hi Reader
You built your reputation on delivery. On standards. On showing up across everything.
And now? You're across it all. But what got you here might be what's impacting your progress.
Because the same grip that once made you excellent may now be holding you back.
We Hold On To Show We Care
It starts with the tasks. Checking the deck. Proofreading the copy. Scanning through (and tweaking) the proposal one more time.
Because being across the detail feels like assurance. Like proof you're doing it right.
That level of precision was a hallmark you developed. A way of showing up. A contract with yourself and others that nothing would slip on your watch.
But it’s rarely just about the task. It’s about identity. A belief that your fingerprints on the work are what make it excellent.
“This is how I know it’s done right.”
“This is how I prove I’m across it all.”
“This is who I’ve always been.”
And the grip tightens quietly.
You’re not even just managing tasks. You’re managing your sense of control - whether the work is yours or someone else's.
Rechecking decisions. Second-guessing choices. Holding so tightly to how it should be done that you crowd out new ways it could be done.
What starts as care can slowly start to close in. Those same habits that once gave you confidence can start to limit your growth... and keep you too busy to do your most impactful work.
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Letting Go Is Self-Leadership
Letting go often feels like giving something up. Like caring less, or losing control.
But what if it's none of those things? What if letting go isn't a loss but an act of self-leadership?
The intent and decision to place your focus and energy where it'll make the biggest difference. Some things need your full attention. Others just need to be good enough.
Sometimes that means dropping a detail. Sometimes it means releasing a role you've outgrown. Sometimes it means stepping away from a version of success that no longer fits who you're becoming.
The person who can discern what to hold and what to release understands that gripping everything equally means nothing gets your best.
Whether you're leading others or just leading yourself, the same question applies: where does your focus have the most leverage?
This is how create space - for strategic clarity, for bold ideas, for the kind of presence that shapes what's next.
The Real Risk Isn't Letting Go
It's rarely your ability that holds you back. But that 20% of over-control might be costing you 80% of your real opportunity.
The tighter the grip, the more likely you are to miss the space to focus on the opportunity that moves everything forward.
Your grip doesn't need to get stronger. Your discernment does.
Because the control that once kept you safe may now be what's stopping you from reaching further.
What are you still holding on to - not because it's useful now, but because it used to be?
Letting go is a decision about who you're becoming.
Stay ambitious.
Rob
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