Great leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.

But sometimes, without even realizing it, we do the opposite.

When your team stops taking initiative, when they rely on you to make every decision, it’s not just a sign of disengagement—it’s learned helplessness. And as leaders, we may be the ones unintentionally creating it.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about recognizing how our actions impact the people we lead. The good news? Once we see it, we can change it.

Ask yourself:

• Are my decisions empowering or controlling?

• Am I giving my team the space to grow, or am I holding the reins too tightly?

• Do my actions build confidence or dependency?

In my latest article, I break down the subtle ways leaders can unknowingly cultivate learned helplessness—and how we can shift to create teams that thrive on autonomy, responsibility, and trust.