Why staying in your lane is a leadership superpower

Staying in your lane. 

That idea has been rolling around in leadership conversations more and more lately. 

But it also reared up in a recent conversation with an engineer – a brilliant guy, building a fascinating business. He said he was fine letting go of control, but then talked about all the time he spent plugging away at his financials.

So I asked him, “If you wanted to change something on your website, would you know how to do it?” He laughed: “Not a clue.”

It made me wonder: Why do we think we have to be in the weeds on some things, but not others? Why is it easier to let go in one area and harder in another?

Too important to delegate?

In my opinion, typically the harder part of staying in your lane isn’t just identifying your strengths – it’s trusting others to take care of the rest. 

That’s something many leaders and business owners struggle with. For far too many years, I held on to the matching process at Vision Coaching – pairing clients with the right coach. 

I convinced myself it was too important to delegate, and that no one else could do it quite the way I could. But the truth is, that belief was slowing us down. 

It wasn’t until Marilyn Orr, a veteran leadership coach who's been with Vision Coaching for all of the 20 years we’ve been in business, took over the role that I realized how wrong I was.

Marilyn – who today serves as our Managing Director of Coaching & Program Delivery – is doing a phenomenal job. And the business is better for it.

Letting go and empowering others often unleashes new levels of performance and momentum.

Staying in your lane is not just a productivity strategy – it’s a leadership mindset.

Coaching plays a powerful role in this process. It helps shine a light on where leaders bring the most value. 

It provides space to ask the tough questions: What’s truly in your lane? What’s not? Where are you holding on too tightly? And what would it take to trust someone else with those responsibilities?

This is also about creating space for others to step up. When leaders release the grip on responsibilities that fall outside their zone of strength, it not only helps them stay focused – it empowers their team to thrive. Clear roles and strong trust are what make great teams function.

Staying in your lane is not just a productivity strategy – it’s a leadership mindset. When leaders get clear on their role and trust others with the rest, they create stronger teams and more resilient organizations.

Sincerely, 

Dave Veale

Founder & CEO

Vision Coaching Inc.