A few years ago, I was asked a question that stopped me in my tracks:

“If you walked out of the room right now, would your team still function at its best, or would everything fall apart?”

It’s the kind of question that stirs a mix of pride and panic. Pride, because you might think, “Of course they’d miss me, I’m the one keeping it all together.” Panic, because deep down you know, if the answer is no, then maybe it’s not leadership you’re practising, it’s control.

The Trap of Being Indispensable

Most of us work hard to be seen as indispensable. We want to be the go-to person, the problem solver, the one who always knows what to do. It feels rewarding to be relied upon.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: if everything depends on you, you’re not guiding, you’re creating dependency. And dependency doesn’t scale. It’s exhausting for you and limiting for your team.

Leadership isn’t about holding the steering wheel so tightly that nobody else learns to drive. It’s about preparing your team without the ship without you.

A Story That Stuck With Me

Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, told one tale that changed the way I thought. Nooyi transformed PepsiCo, not simply managed it. She started the "Performance with Purpose" campaign, which linked social responsibility, sustainability, and health to company expansion.

More significantly, she ingrained principles like integrity, empathy, and inventiveness into the very aspect of the business.

She wasn’t just focused on quarterly decisions; she was shaping a culture, one that grew even stronger after she stepped down. The company carried forward her principles because they were no longer her principles. They had become their principles.

That’s the kind of leadership that outlives the leader.

The Culture Test

Since then, I’ve started asking myself two questions regularly:

→ Am I creating a culture that can lead without me? → Am I building people or just depending on them?

If you want to know how strong your leadership really is, imagine this: tomorrow, without warning, you step away from your role. No transition period. No last-minute handover.

Would your team know the priorities? Would they make decisions aligned with your vision? Would they uphold the values you’ve been championing?

You're creating something long-lasting if the answer is "yes." Perhaps it's time to change your focus from doing to growing if the answer is "no."

Why Leaders Struggle to Let Go

Many leaders hesitate to let go because they fear losing relevance. The thought of “They won’t need me anymore” can feel threatening. But here’s the irony: the more a team can operate without you, the more valuable your leadership truly is.

Think of it like parenting. The goal isn’t to have your kids call you for every little decision. It’s to equip them to live confidently, responsibly, and independently, even when you’re not around.

Teams are no different. The measure of leadership is not how much they need you, but how well they do when you’re gone.

How to Build a Team That Runs Without You

1. Embed Values, Not Just Processes Rules and checklists help with daily work, but values help when surprises come. Teach your team the reason behind your actions, not just the steps.
2. Develop Decision-Makers Instead of always giving answers, ask questions that help your team think through solutions themselves. This builds confidence and judgment.
3. Document and Share Knowledge Don’t let critical information live in your head. Share it, write it down, and make it accessible.
4. Empower Ownership Let team members take the lead on projects, even if they make mistakes. Ownership breeds accountability and pride.
5. Lead by Example, Then Step Back Model the behaviour you want to see, but resist the urge to hover. Trust is built when you give people room to prove themselves.

Good leadership is about strengthening what’s around you. If you stepped back, would your team still reflect your values and push forward with passion for the mission?

True leadership means helping others grow so they can carry on without you. The question is: Are you creating a team that will stay strong when you step away?