When Your Team Outgrows Your Leadership (And What to Do About It)
There’s a quiet moment many leaders eventually face. It’s when what worked before stops working. The team is still showing up. You’re still doing the one-on-ones. But something feels… off. There’s less energy, less alignment, fewer breakthroughs, more resistance. Or worse: silence.
This isn’t always a “people problem.” Sometimes it’s not your team that’s stalled. Sometimes, they’ve grown. And they need more from you than the version of leadership you’ve been offering.
Two Paths to Leadership Drift
In companies with strong culture and low turnover, teams often stay together long enough to experience this naturally. The leader gets comfortable, routines take over, and the team evolves. But the leadership style doesn’t.
In companies with high turnover, the signs can be harder to catch. Team members leave before the misalignment ever surfaces, but it’s still there. Leaders operate from an inward mindset, and teams become disillusioned and disengaged. The old saying holds true: “People don’t leave jobs. They leave leaders.”
Either way, leadership drift happens when a team’s growth outpaces a leader’s evolution.
“The feeling of having arrived is poison to leadership.”
—Illumin8 Advisors
What to Do When You Feel the Gap
When things feel stale or out of sync, here’s the process we use:
Solicit critical feedback from trusted team members
Revisit leadership materials or training we’ve found impactful
Seek outside perspective from mentors or senior leaders
Diagnose the root issue, not just the symptoms
Develop a plan to adjust, then engage the team or peer leaders to roll it out
In short: reflect, learn, and realign. And that process only works if the leader stays grounded in humility.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Of course, the best leaders don’t wait for the wheels to wobble. They evolve ahead of the curve. And that starts with a growth mindset.
Leadership is never a destination. You never know when you’ll be asked to lead a different team, step up in the org, or step into a new environment entirely. All of those moments require skills you don’t yet have.
If you believe you’ve “arrived,” you stop growing. And the moment you stop growing, your team will eventually outpace you.
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
—Simon Sinek, Leaders Eat Last
A Tale of Two Leadership Lessons
When I led a software QA team, I had two experiences that shaped how I think about outgrowing leadership.
First, I was asked to lead our performance testing group. None of us knew what we were doing. So we learned together. We read, experimented, shared insights. Every day felt exciting. Growth was contagious—and I was growing with the team.
Later, a portion of my team transitioned to a more R&D-heavy role. They were brilliant, highly technical, and I found that I couldn’t keep up in architectural discussions or deep coding decisions. As their leader, I felt increasingly outmatched, and I saw that lag affect the team’s momentum.
After some reflection and conversations with my own leader, we made a shift. The team moved under a new leader with deeper technical chops. It was absolutely the right call.
That wasn’t failure. It was leadership. Real leadership isn’t about holding on, it’s about asking: What does this team need from me right now?
And if the answer is: “Something I can’t give,” then the most purpose-driven thing you can do is make space for someone who can.
Moving Forward, Not Backward
When your team outgrows your leadership, it’s not the end of your story. It’s the beginning of a new chapter. A new chapter where you stretch, reflect, learn, let go of what used to work, and build what comes next.
Because the team deserves it (and you do too).
Have you ever felt your leadership wasn’t keeping up with your team’s growth? What helped you realign or step back?
Join the Conversation:
We’re continuing this discussion on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear how you’ve navigated your own leadership pivot moments.
👇 Drop your thoughts here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/illumin8-advisors/
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