The Tighter You Hold Rice

First time managers run into two traps.

The first one is over control. You grip everything. You micromanage. You hover. You want everything run by you.

You want to prove you earned the role.

Eventually, the team stops taking initiative.

They wait.

They let you make every call. Because you conditioned them to.

The second trap is the opposite.

You freeze.

You are scared to make a move. Your peers now report to you, and you still see yourself as “one of them”.

So you avoid tough calls.You avoid conflict. You play safe. You become a passenger in your own role.

And then the team loses direction. Nobody knows who is steering.

Both extremes come from the same place: fear.

Fear of failing.

Fear of looking weak.

Fear of being judged.

Leadership is a delicate balance between control and the lack of it, laced with trust. Trust in the people you lead. In doing what is yours to do, and letting the team own the rest.

Everything you want from the role comes when you stop trying so hard to prove you earned and deserve it. The tighter you hold rice, the faster it slips away.