One of the most dangerous myths in career development is that being a great employee automatically makes you a great leader.
The reality is, the moment you become a manager, the game changes completely. The skills that got you promoted—being a master of your craft, a reliable "doer"—can suddenly become the very things that hold you back.
I see this all the time: new leaders who are overwhelmed, heading for burnout, and failing to empower their teams because they're still stuck in the "doer" mindset.
That's why I was so excited to sit down with Bobby Powers for the latest episode of the Self Aware Leader podcast. Bobby is a leadership development expert and one of the most well-read people I know (he reads over 70 books a year), and he has an incredible talent for making complex leadership ideas simple and actionable.
Our entire conversation was packed with value, and you can listen to it here on substack!
I wanted to share two of the most powerful frameworks Bobby broke down for us. Honestly, if you only master these two things, you'll be ahead of 90% of new managers.
Key Takeaway #1: The 80% Rule for Delegation
This was my favorite part of our conversation. Bobby shared a simple rule for delegation that completely removes the leader's bottleneck. He explained:
If someone on your team can do a task 80% as well as you can, you should delegate it to them.
As Bobby put it, that 20% difference isn't a performance gap to be feared; it's the space where your team member learns, grows, and takes true ownership. Your role shifts from doing the task perfectly to coaching your team member to close that gap themselves. This is how you scale your impact and avoid burnout.
Key Takeaway #2: The SBI Model for Feedback
Bobby also shared a brilliant, simple framework for giving feedback that removes the fear and emotion that cause so many leaders to avoid it. It's called the SBI Model.
S - Situation: Start with the specific context. ("In yesterday's client call...")
B - Behavior: Describe the concrete, observable behavior. ("...when you shared the project update...")
I - Impact: Explain the impact that behavior had on you or the team. ("...I felt proud because your clear explanation built a ton of confidence with the client.")
This model takes the judgment out of feedback and makes it about specific actions and their consequences. It works just as well for positive reinforcement as it does for corrective feedback, and it's a tool every single leader should have.
We also talked about overcoming imposter syndrome, managing former friends, and much more. I hope this conversation gives you the clarity and confidence to grow as a leader.
Bobby Power Website:
https://bobbypowers.com/
I'd love to hear from you: After listening, what was your single biggest takeaway from my conversation with Bobby?
Share it in the comments below!
All the best,
Jason Rigby
Host, The Self Aware Leader Podcast
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