Want More Time? Stop Touching Things

Peter Delle
March 31, 2025

You care about quality.

You want to stay close to the work.

You feel responsible for what goes out the door.

That’s normal—and smart. But when everything needs your review, input, or sign-off, things slow down fast. You become the blocker. Your team hesitates. They wait instead of moving.

And suddenly, your day is a pile of micro-decisions and Slack pings, not actual leadership.

Shift from Gatekeeper to Guide

Let’s be honest: you probably don’t want to micromanage. You just want to make sure things stay on track.

But there’s a better way than hovering.

Think of your role like setting the course on a GPS. You pick the destination, maybe set a few route preferences, but you're not grabbing the wheel every five minutes. That’d be exhausting—for everyone.

Try These Moves

1. Set guardrails, not roadblocks

Give clear boundaries so people know what’s okay to run with.

For example:

“If it’s under $500 and won’t affect a customer, go for it.”
“If it’s a draft going on social, no need for me to review. Just keep it on-brand.”

Small rules like that give your team the freedom to move fast—without feeling like they’re gambling.

2. Default to trust

Instead of asking to see everything beforehand, try shifting the default to action. Let them ship—then check in afterward if needed.

“Feel free to post when it’s ready. Just loop me in after so I can stay in the loop.”

That tiny flip builds momentum, confidence, and shows you believe in them.

3. Make ownership clear

One of the easiest fixes? Clarity.

Who owns what? What’s okay to decide solo? What needs a gut check first?

It doesn’t need to be a giant Notion doc. Even a quick Slack message like:

“Hey, if it’s green, you own it. If it’s yellow, gut check with someone. Red = let’s chat first.”

It’s amazing how much faster people move when they’re not second-guessing.

4. Gut-check your own involvement

Not everything needs you.

Ask yourself:

Is this reversible?
Does someone else know more about this than I do?
Will it still matter in 6 months?

If the answer is yes… maybe the best move is to not weigh in.

Let it fly. You’ve got bigger stuff to lead.

Big Picture

Stepping back doesn’t mean stepping away.

It means building a team that can move without needing a hall pass.

When people feel trusted, they take more ownership.

When they take ownership, things don’t just move faster—they get better.

And the more you let go of, the more space you get to focus on the work that actually requires you.