“I feel like the team can’t function unless I’m in the room.”
That’s what one director told me — right before listing out every problem he’d fixed that week like it was a badge of honor.

Here’s the truth:
If you're still solving the same problems you did two promotions ago, you’re not leading — you’re just operating at a higher salary band.

This is the trap that kills speed, frustrates teams, and silently tanks careers:
You're a director or VP on paper.
But in practice?
You’re the fixer, the bottleneck, the one-man approval engine.

And no matter how hard you work, your impact is stuck.
Because you're still leading like a manager.

The Leadership Impact Ladder (and Where You’re Stuck)

In Lead Like a CEO, I talk about how real leadership happens in layers — I call them rungs:

• Rungs 1–2: Doing and getting things done

• Rungs 3–4: Managing systems and leading others

• Rungs 5–6: Shaping strategy, culture, and long-term value
  

You climb the ladder by letting go of what no longer belongs to you.

But too many leaders get promoted and stay stuck on Rung 2 — fixing, firefighting, over-functioning.

Let me introduce you to Marcus.

Meet Marcus: Director on Paper, Manager in Practice

Marcus is a Director of Ops at a $500M tech company. Smart, dependable, and promoted because “he gets things done.”

But lately, he’s buried.
Wall-to-wall meetings.
Every Slack ping is a decision to approve.
Every escalation ends up back on his desk.

Why?
Because Marcus is still running the old plays.
Still in the weeds.
Still solving instead of scaling.

His team?
They’ve learned: just wait for Marcus.
He’ll fix it.

That feels fast — like he’s swooping in with his superhero cape.
But it’s fake speed.
It’s a treadmill, not a track.

Marcus isn’t the CEO of his area.
He’s just babysitting with a better job title.

Why This Hurts Everyone (Especially You)

When you lead like a manager instead of an owner:

• Every decision gets bottlenecked

• Your team never learns to lead

• You burn out doing work that’s no longer yours

You look busy, but your exec team sees someone who can’t scale.
That’s a promotion killer.

You don’t rise by being essential.
You rise by making others capable.

The Shift: From Managing to Owning

If you're a director or VP, you don’t run the plays anymore.
You design the playbook.

That means:

• Setting direction, not just chasing updates

• Creating clarity, not approving every micro-decision

• Empowering your team to move — even when you're not in the room
  

This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing only what you should own — and letting the rest go.

Try This: 3 Actions to Start Leading Like an Owner

1. Audit Your Week
Look at your last 5 days.
Circle anything you did that could have — or should have — been handled by your team.
That’s where you’re stuck.

2. Define Your Rungs
Ask yourself: what are the 3 outcomes only I should own at this level?
Write them down. Post them by your desk.
If your week doesn’t reflect those — you’ve slipped down the ladder.

3. Flip the Fixing Script
Next time someone says “What should I do?”
Don’t answer.
Say: “You’re closer to this than I am — what’s your recommendation?”
Then coach their plan instead of handing them yours.

The Bottom Line

If you're still solving all the problems, you're not leading — you're delaying your growth.
Your team doesn’t need your cape.
They need your clarity.
They need ownership.
They need you to lead like the CEO of your area.

Ready to stop playing fixer and start building a team that moves without you?

👉 Book a free Leadership Clarity Call.
In 45 minutes, we’ll map the shift from manager to owner — and give you back your time, your energy, and your impact.