How to Build a Team You Can Trust
In leadership, there’s a hidden paradox: the higher you rise, the more your success depends on others. Yet the instinct for many high-achieving leaders is to grip the reins even tighter—clinging to control, perfectionism, and a belief that “if I want it done right, I’ll do it myself.”
Real leadership begins not with more control, but with the courage to let go.
The Trap of Control: Why It’s Hard to Let Go
Control often masquerades as competence. When leaders are praised for their execution, it reinforces the habit of doing more instead of stepping back. But that habit eventually becomes a trap.
Eric Bensley, global head of Product Marketing at Asana, was able to sit down for coffee days before the event—not because things were easy, but because he trusted his team to execute. “There’s no way I could be here,” he said, “if I didn’t fully trust my team to be delivering.”
Letting go of control requires trust. And trust, especially in ambiguous, high-stakes work, takes time to build. Many leaders fear the vulnerability that comes with handing over the reins: What if the team drops the ball? What if it reflects poorly on me?
But what’s really at stake is not reputation—it’s growth.
Breaking Old Habits Requires Courage
The shift from control to empowerment isn’t just about delegating more. It’s about challenging deeply ingrained beliefs about success, responsibility, and identity. Many leaders, especially those who rose through the ranks based on their personal performance, struggle with redefining their value.
Eric describes himself as a “recovering perfectionist.” For years, his default was to protect his team from outside feedback and stay in control of the narrative. But over time, he recognized that shielding people from challenge stunts their growth—and his.
Real leadership, he realized, isn’t about crafting a flawless image. It’s about investing in others and helping them become the kind of people who can lead on their own.
That requires a new kind of courage: the courage to let go, to be seen, and to trust that your worth isn’t tied to doing everything yourself.
Tools for Building Trust and Independence
Courage is essential—but not sufficient. Leaders also need tools and practices that help them build trust in real, practical ways.
1. Understand the Trust Ladder
Trust doesn’t happen all at once. At the bottom of the “trust ladder” is run-rate work, tasks the team already knows how to do. As people prove themselves, they move into more ambiguous, creative work that requires judgment and stakeholder management.
Recognizing these stages helps leaders calibrate their involvement and set clear expectations without micromanaging.
2. Coach Through, Don’t Just Delegate
When delegating new or ambiguous projects, don’t simply assign and disappear. Get into the work early by asking questions, offering frameworks, and co-creating the approach before stepping back.
This hands-on, early-stage support is essential for helping people build confidence and avoid overwhelm. It also allows leaders to teach decision-making, not just task completion.
3. Create Real Feedback Loops
Letting go doesn’t mean lowering standards. One of the most powerful ways to increase accountability and quality is to let your team present their work directly to stakeholders. It builds raises the bar because real-world feedback makes it clear what “great” looks like.
It also fosters internal motivation, helping team members align their work to impact, not just manager approval.
Let Go to Rise Up
Ultimately, letting go is an act of belief—not just in your team, but in yourself. When you release the need to control every outcome, you make room for people to grow. And as they rise, so do you.
If you’re ready to break old habits and lead with greater freedom and purpose, there’s no better time than now to do something different.
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