When to Step Back

Recognising the Signs of Over Control and Fatigue.

Most leaders dont start out as micromanagers. They slide into it slowly, almost without noticing. It rarely begins with a desire for control. It begins with tiredness. With overwhelm. With the sense that if you dont hold everything together, the whole thing might fall apart.

I understand that feeling deeply.

During the early years of Ojo Rojo I found myself stepping in constantly. If a dish went out wrong, I fixed it. If a customer complained, I handled it. If someone fell behind, I took over. At the time I believed I was helping. I thought I was supporting the team. But what I was really doing was carrying everything myself and making it impossible for the team to grow.

Over control almost always comes from exhaustion. When youre tired, mistakes feel bigger. Trust feels harder. Delegation feels risky. You grip tighter because youre scared. And each time you step in, you teach your team to rely on you instead of becoming capable without you.

There are early warning signs.

Frustration that grows quicker than it used to.

Resentment you dont talk about.

Feeling like no one cares as much as you do.

A belief that if you dont do something, it wont be done properly.

A heaviness that doesnt lift, even after rest.

These arent signs that your team are failing.

They are signs that you are overwhelmed.

Stepping back feels uncomfortable at first because your nervous system is still in overdrive. That is why learning resets and rhythm is so important. When you use grounding practices, morning clarity, weekly planning, and passion blocks, you create enough internal space to see clearly again. You can distinguish real problems from imagined ones. You remember that leadership is not about carrying everything.

Stepping back does not mean disconnecting. It does not mean walking away. It means communicating clearly, delegating properly, staying lightly present without hovering, and letting people learn. It means creating space for your team to step forward.

And when they do, everything changes.

Your energy returns.

Your clarity improves.

Your team feel trusted.

And the culture becomes healthier and more stable.

Leadership isnt doing everything yourself.

Leadership is knowing when not to.

If this resonates with you, the full episode goes deeper into the emotional signs, the reasons over control happens, and the practical steps to step back without losing connection.