🧹 Lead with Less: How I Stopped Overcomplicating Everything

There’s a myth in leadership that more is better.

More meetings. More structure. More strategy decks. More layers of approval. More dashboards, tools, and processes.

And if you're like I was — a high-performing, highly invested leader who cares deeply — you might fall into the same trap I did:

Overcomplication in the name of excellence.

But here's what I’ve learned: leadership isn’t about adding — it’s about subtracting.

When Everything Is Important, Nothing Is Clear

I used to think:

• A long list of strategic priorities = a strong, visionary plan

• Detailed meeting agendas = well-run operations

• Complex workflows = professional, efficient systems

But in reality?
They created confusion, bottlenecks, and burnout.

My team couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Neither could I.

Overcomplication Hides in Plain Sight

It looks like:

• Multiple tools doing the same thing

• Weekly meetings with no clear outcomes

• Too many metrics and no true scorecard

• Projects with no defined owner

• SOPs so complex they go unread

It doesn’t start maliciously. It starts from care. From trying to make things better.

But more layers don’t equal more clarity.

The Power of Leading with Less

When I finally paused and asked, “What would this look like if it were simple?” — things shifted.

I stopped:

• Taking on every idea as a must-do

• Rewriting frameworks that already worked

• Building 10-step processes for 3-step problems

And I started:

• Asking better questions instead of offering answers

• Giving my team clearer swim lanes

• Trusting people to figure things out without micromanagement

Less Doesn’t Mean Lazy — It Means Focused

Leading with less doesn’t mean you care less. It means you care enough to make things make sense.

It’s choosing:

• Clarity over complexity

• Momentum over perfection

• Trust over control

It’s leadership with breathing room. So people (including you) can thrive.

Your Turn

If things feel too heavy, too confusing, or too cluttered — don’t push harder. Try subtracting.

Ask yourself:

• What’s creating noise but not impact?

• What’s complicated that could be simple?

• What can I clear away to lead more clearly?

You don’t need to do more to lead better.
You just need to lead with less.