The tools that got you promoted are sabotaging your effectiveness right now.
You’re carrying habits, practices, and mindsets that once served you brilliantly but now weigh you down like unnecessary gear on a long trek. Every leader does this. The question is whether you’re willing to unpack your backpack and let go.
The Promotion Trap
When leaders step up, most double down on what worked before. More checklists. Extra meetings. Tighter control. Longer hours.
It feels productive because it’s familiar. But the leadership landscape has changed, and you’re still following an outdated map.
If you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Sometimes what you actually need is a spanner.
The Leadership Backpack Principle
Think of your leadership toolkit as a backpack. Every habit, practice, and belief is an item you carry. Some help you move faster. Others slow you down without you noticing.
The practices that made you successful as an individual contributor become liabilities when you lead leaders. Assuming sole decision-making authority. Fixing every problem yourself. Being the one with all the answers.
These habits feel comfortable because they worked before. Now they’re creating bottlenecks, burning you out, and preventing your team from growing.
From Village Fisherman to Icebreaker Captain
Real growth demands a fundamental shift in how you see your role.
The Village Fisherman always has the answers. Does all the problem-solving. Acts as the team’s superhero. This worked when you were responsible for results you delivered yourself.
The Icebreaker Captain doesn’t navigate alone. They forge a path through challenges, creating a safe route that enables the whole team to move forward stronger together.
The Icebreaker Captain’s role is less about having all the answers and more about creating space for great ideas to surface from the team.
This shift—from “I’ll make all the decisions” to “I’ll create space for the best ideas”—marks profound leadership evolution.
All of these highlight intentional resource management, adaptability, and strong direction. Just like a backpack must be lightened and organised for an efficient journey, leaders must manage their habits and tools to create forward momentum.
The Action Challenge: Audit Your Toolkit
If you’re slipping back into comfortable old habits—micromanagement, endless checklists, pointless meetings—pause and ask whether you’re choosing the right tool for the job or just the comfortable one.
Conduct a Leadership Inventory:
- What tools or habits are helping you move forward?
- What burdens are holding you back?
- What are you carrying that you no longer need?
Emptying your backpack often marks the point where true leadership effectiveness begins.
What will you leave behind this week?
When you are ready to find out more, here are a few ways you can connect with me
- Tired of leadership advice that doesn’t work in the real world? → Get practical insights that actually work
- Stuck in the leadership weeds and can’t see a way out? → Book your 1:1 Strategic Breakthrough Session
- Ready to reclaim 6+ hours weekly and lead with confidence instead of firefighting in chaos? → Discover Amplify
- Exhausted from your team needing constant oversight and direction? → Transform them with WoW
- Burning out from leadership overwhelm? → Get the antidote (my book)
