Control feels good. It feels safe. As a leader, you’re expected to be in control, right? To have the answers, to guide the team, and ensure that everything stays on track. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: control is an illusion.

Think back to the last time you tried to manage every detail of a project or micromanage your team. How did it end up? Sure, things might have gotten done, but at what cost? Stress, frustration, and a team that’s more focused on seeking approval than taking initiative.

Now, imagine letting go—not recklessly, but intentionally. Imagine creating space for your team to take ownership, to step into their potential. What if, instead of focusing on controlling outcomes, you focused on influencing behaviors? That’s where real leadership begins.

The Paradox of Control

Here’s the paradox: the more you try to control, the less control you actually have.

I once worked with a leader obsessed with control. Every decision had to go through him. Every move needed his approval. He became the bottleneck, and it was suffocating the team’s creativity. This was a talented team—brilliant, even—but they were shackled by his need to manage every detail.

What was he afraid of? That without his tight grip, the team would crumble, projects would slip, and chaos would take over. But the irony was that his control was causing the very problems he feared. By holding on too tightly, he was losing the one thing he needed most: trust.

Letting Go to Gain More

Control is an illusion. The tighter you hold on, the more you lose what you’re trying to protect—trust, creativity, ownership. As a leader, the real power doesn’t come from controlling every outcome. It comes from empowering your team to take risks, make decisions, and learn from failures. The most effective leaders influence behavior, create environments where people can thrive, and inspire trust.

So, where do you need to let go? Where is your grip holding back the potential of your team? And if control is an illusion, how can you shift your focus to what really matters—building trust and influencing the right behaviors?