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Once upon a time I had a toddler and a baby. And mornings sponsored by the chaos and overwhelm accompanied by getting said toddler and baby dressed and out the door so I could make it to work on time.
Then one day, the toddler asked "Can I get dressed by myself?"
I froze. Not because it was a wild request. But because it genuinely hadn't occurred to me she could handle it.
I just assumed, being the adult, that getting her dressed was my job.
But on faith I said yes. And admittedly, the ensuing blends of neon with tye-dye with faux fur left memories I’ve tried to unsee. But on balance, this was a huge win. For all of us.
Then same dynamic’s playing out at work.
Leaders exhausting themselves trying to fix everything. Teams waiting for solutions from above. And nobody asking the question that could change everything:
"What if we just... did this ourselves?"
The Trap We're All In
We inherited a workplace built for Don Draper. In a time when the guys (always guys) who were good at the thing became managers of people doing the thing, and ultimately the guys at the top knew the most. And their job was to disseminate that knowing down.
That system worked when problems were simpler and knowledge was scarce.
But now? Knowledge lives everywhere. Everyone’s perch and perspective matter – to solving problems and capturing opportunities.
But still, these assumptions.
Leaders: "I need to fix this." Employees: "Why haven't they fixed this yet?"
It’s time to flip the script
Most workplace problems aren't waiting for executive solutions. They're waiting for someone who sees the opportunity to just try something different.
The question isn't "How do I get leadership to solve this?"
It's "What's the smallest version of this I could experiment with right now?"
Real Examples of This in Action
At one company, people were working remote and hybrid. Relationships felt transactional, trust and connection low.
A few employees decided to create a shared document. Nothing fancy. People could post what they needed help with, what expertise they had, their hobbies. Others could browse and reach out.
A few people connected. Then more people added themselves. Eventually they started posting when they'd be in the office so others could coordinate visits.
No budget. No approval process. Just a Google doc and the assumption of permission.
In another, a manager had three direct reports hungry for “career advancement” which he assumed to mean promotions. But with no open roles in sight, he felt powerless to help them.
But we chatted, and we redefined “career advancement.” What if it could be about more than promotions? He realized he couldn't create new positions. But he could help them grow within role, readying them for future opportunities.
So with no formal program in place, he found ways to get these team members more exposure to senior leaders. Put them on high-visibility projects. Created networking opportunities.
The team members felt engaged in the process and they share a confidence they’ll be ready when leadership roles begin to open.
For Leaders: Stop Hoarding the Burden
If you're in leadership, I'm guessing you carry an invisible weight. The belief that your job is to see every problem and solve it.
That weight is unsustainable. And it's actually limiting your organization.
Because in truth, you can’t always see what’s broken or where opportunity is there for the taking.
Your job isn't to solve everything. It's to make it safe for others to solve things.
Three Moves That Change Everything
1. Acknowledge what you're hearing without rushing to fix it.
"I'm hearing that cross-functional collaboration feels clunky right now." That's it. Just name it. Don't immediately propose a solution. Create space for others to.
2. Clarify constraints, not commands.
Most things feel non-negotiable but aren't. Get specific about what truly can't change and why. Everything else? Fair game for experimentation.
3. Explicitly invite small experiments.
"I don't have the answer here. You're closer to this than I am. What's something small you could test this week?"
The don't micromanage the experiment. Let them try. Let them learn. Let them iterate.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
When one person experiments with a solution, they give others implicit permission to do the same. When one manager protects their team's time, others notice. When one leader admits they don't have all the answers, it creates space for collective problem-solving.
This compounds. Not through top-down mandates. Through lateral permission.
And suddenly, the organization isn't waiting for leadership to fix everything. People are actively shaping their own experience. Problems get solved faster because they're being solved by the people who actually see them.
The Permission You're Waiting For? It's Not Coming.
And honestly? That's liberating.
Because it means you don't have to wait. You can start now. With something small. Something in your control.
What's one friction point you experience regularly? What's one tiny experiment that might ease it?
Not a perfect solution. Not a complete fix. Just a small move in a better direction.
Try it. See what happens.
Related: Work Isn’t Working: How We Lost the Second Place — And How To Build It Back