Let's say you just have been promoted to be the leader of your team and your team is responsible to deliver a result. Are you responsible for that result? Your first instinct probably will be: Yes. But you are mistaken. Your team is responsible for that result. You are not. Since you have given a new role, so will your responsibilities. From that point on you are responsible for your team. You are responsible for the people responsible for the result.

I know this feels strange, but I see it all the time. The new leader is thinking he is helping the team by telling them how to do their job. Often enough he is still doing his old job, or their job most of his time. He still feels responsible for the result, and therefore neglecting is real job: taking care of his team.

The first step of taking care of your team is letting go of your responsibility of the result and replacing it with the responsibility of the people responsible for the result. From now on you have to be a people person. From now on you have to motivate, inspire, support and coach your team. And most of all: get out of their way!