Do Only What Only You Can Do: Why Real Leaders Let Go
I used to believe that being a good leader meant being everywhere at once. On the surface, it looked like commitment. But deep down, it was fear. Fear that if I let go, I’d let people down.
It took years for me to realize: Holding on wasn’t helping. It was hurting. It was keeping others from rising. And it was weighing me down. Most leaders don’t fail from a lack of effort. They fail from doing too much of what others could do — because letting go feels like losing control.
One of the most powerful leadership lessons I’ve learned is: Do only what only you can do. It sounds simple. But it’s deeply countercultural — especially in high-achieving spaces where value is equated with output.
The Trap of Holding On
Recently a leader told me he wanted to go to the next level. But he was doing most of the work himself. My response: If you don’t let go, you’ll never grow. You can’t move to the next level while clinging to the last one.
Many of us struggle to let go. We cling to tasks we’re good at. But real leadership isn’t about proving your worth through activity. It’s about amplifying the worth of others. The question I learned to ask myself was: “If someone else can do this well, why am I still doing it?”
Letting Go Isn’t Losing Control
When I transitioned into the CEO role at United Way, I had a reckoning. As Executive VP, I was involved in everything. But as CEO, I wasn’t supposed to be everywhere. I was supposed to be above it — setting direction, removing barriers, and building capacity.
During a leadership assessment, the feedback was blunt: “You’re too close to the operational details. You’ve got to pull up.” That stung. But it was true. I needed to hire well, trust boldly, and focus only on the decisions only I could make.
Practicing Intentionality at the Bank
I carry this into my role at the Bank. Every day presents dozens of opportunities to insert myself — projects I could lead, meetings I could attend, decisions I could weigh in on. But that doesn’t mean I should.
Leadership requires restraint. It requires intentionality. It requires knowing your highest value — and staying anchored there.
Systems Create Freedom
One of the most important tools in this journey is documentation— standard operating procedures, transition plans, scorecards, dashboards. These systems let me stay informed without being entangled. And they give my team the structure they need to operate with confidence.
Leadership isn’t about managing every detail. It’s about building a platform — and getting out of the way.
Challenge: A Hard Look in the Mirror
Take a moment to check yourself. Look at your calendar. Your inbox. Think about what’s keeping you up at night. Now ask: Where am I the bottleneck? What am I holding on to — out of fear, ego, or habit?
True growth begins when you’re honest with yourself and brave enough to act on it. You don’t scale by doing more. You scale by creating space for others to thrive.
Final Word
In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law tells him: “What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out — both you and these people with you.” He was leading alone. Doing too much. The solution wasn’t more effort — it was shared leadership. Trust. Structure. Faith.
What’s one thing you need to let go of this week? What are you holding that someone else can carry? What’s weighing you down that God never asked you to hold? Start there. Let go. Breathe. Trust.
Because when you release what’s not yours to hold, others rise — and so do you.
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.” – Psalm 55:22
Originally published in the St. Louis American in July of 2025 by Orv Kimbrough, Chairman and CEO at Midwest BankCentre