Letting Go of Control to Be a Better Leader

Written By Allison Pollard

Photo by Sebastien Wiertz

Stop micromanaging. No more command and control. Trust the team.

But how often do we talk about what it's like to give up control? It can feel wrong to let go. It's risky. It forces us to question what's important to us. It causes us to really think about the character and competence of those we're supposed to trust.

David Marquet believes leaders are needed at every level of an organization, which requires looking at leadership differently:

So when you find yourself holding onto control, ask yourself how you can create an environment for greatness and develop leadership in those around you. How can people make decisions as if the CEO was behind them?

Allison Pollard

Allison Pollard is a coach, consultant, and trainer who brings the power of relationship systems intelligence to go beyond tasks, roles, and frameworks to create energy for change. She engages with people and teams in a down-to-earth way to build trust and listen for signals to help them learn more and improve. Allison focuses on creating alignment and connection for people to solve business problems together. Her experience includes working with teams and leaders in energy, retail, financial, real estate, and transportation industries to help improve their project/product delivery and culture. Allison currently volunteers as program director for Women in Agile’s mentorship program. Her agile community focus is championing new voices and amplifying women as mentors and sponsors for the next generation of leaders. Allison earned her bachelor’s degrees in computer science, mathematics, and English from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), a foodie, and proud glasses wearer. Allison is a prolific speaker at professional groups and international conferences, including Scrum Gatherings and the Agile Alliance Agile20xx conferences. Allison is co-owner of Helping Improve LLC.

http://www.allisonpollard.com
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