If you've hired people, handed off tasks, and somehow still find everything coming back to you, this episode is the one you need.
Host Adrienne Dorison breaks down why delegation isn't a skills problem. It's an identity problem. And no framework is going to fix that.

This solo episode digs into the deeper psychological reason high performers struggle to let go, and what it actually takes to make the shift from doing the work to leading the work.

In this episode:

• Why the skills that got you promoted are now working against you
• The real reasons you can't delegate (hint: it's not your team's incompetence)
• The 4 hidden fears underneath every delegation struggle: losing control, becoming irrelevant, being exposed, and discomfort
• Why over-helping your team is actually holding them back
• The James Clear / Atomic Habits quote Adrienne returns to constantly: "Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it's currently getting"
• Digging holes vs. solving Rubik's Cubes: a framework for understanding why leadership work feels less satisfying than doing work (dopamine, instant gratification, and delayed payoffs)
• The guilt loop that keeps leaders stuck even after they intellectually understand the shift
• A real client story: a visionary founder whose "coffee shop days" became a team-wide metric
• Why your team's capability is now the true measurement of your success

🔗 Links mentioned:

• 📋 Delegation Scripts
• 🎓 Delegation Class
  

Reflection question for this episode: Who am I if I am not the one doing the work?

Timestamp
00:00 Why Everything Is Still On Your Plate
01:17 The Identity Problem Behind Delegation
04:57 The Hidden Fears Underneath "I'll Just Do It Myself"
07:36 The Danger of Over-Helping Your Team
10:02 Digging Holes vs. Solving Rubik's Cubes
14:49 The Guilt That Keeps Leaders Stuck
18:47 Client Story: Coffee Shop Days as a Team Metric
22:59 What Your Real Job Actually Is
24:47 Reflection + Your Homework
25:57 Resources: Delegation Scripts & Class

Access the transcript here

Most leaders were never actually taught how to lead, and this episode names that truth out loud.

Host Adrienne Dorison opens Season 1 by diving into why so many of us ended up in leadership roles completely unprepared, and what we can do about it.

Drawing on her years in corporate manufacturing and 15+ years in operational efficiency, Adrienne shares a candid story from her paper mill days, a retention survey that revealed exactly what employees needed, presented to the C-suite, and promptly ignored. Sound familiar?

In this episode:

• Why being a great "doer" doesn't automatically make you a great leader
• The sobering stats: 85% of leaders are winging it, and 69% of employees say their manager impacts their mental health more than their doctor, therapist, or partner
• The 3 broken beliefs of the old leadership playbook (and why they're costing you talent)
• The 3 principles of the new leadership playbook: results over presence, clarity over control, and humanity over authoritarian hierarchy
• 3 gut-check questions every leader should ask themselves regularly

Your homework: Answer these three questions honestly:

1. Would I want to work for me?
2. Is this how I would want to be led?
3. Does this get results — or is it just leadership theater?

00:00 The Challenge of Modern Leadership
05:32 Old Models vs. New Models of Leadership
10:40 The Broken Beliefs of Leadership
21:30 Building a New Leadership Playbook
26:53 Self-Reflection as a Leader

You can read the transcript here

Please rate, review and subscribe if you loved this episode!

Connect with Adrienne on IG

Welcome to Sorta Bossy!

If you found yourself in a leadership role without a roadmap, you're in the right place. Sorta Bossy is the podcast for managers, team leads, directors, and business owners who are figuring out leadership in real time, without the toxic boss energy.

Host and operational efficiency expert (and co-founder of Run Like Clockwork, alongside Clockwork author Mike Michalowicz) pulls back the curtain on the people side of leadership — the part no one trains you for.

Here's the reality:

• Only 15% of leaders receive any formal leadership training
• 85% are winging it
• 69% of employees say their manager has a bigger impact on their mental health than their doctor, therapist, or partner

This show exists to close that gap.

What to expect:

• 🎙️ Solo episodes: tactical breakdowns on delegation, firing, accountability, feedback, and more
• 🤝 Leader interviews: real talk about real mistakes and hard-won lessons
• 💌 Dear Abby-style episodes: with co-host Emily, answering listener questions and reacting to real workplace dilemmas
  

This podcast is for you if you're a leader who wants to drive real results without creating a toxic culture in the process.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share with a fellow manager who needs this.

You can read the transcript here

Connect with Adrienne on IG