“What do I do if I’m not doing the work?” It’s the question every new manager asks when realizing leadership means giving up the tasks they excelled at and learning an entirely new set of skills nobody prepared them for.

This monthly coaching session with Jen and Julie tackles one of the most common challenges new leaders face: the shift from doing the work to leading the work. Julie Binter is the Founder of Clear The Way Coaching & Consulting, a company focused on helping leaders, teams, and organizations “get better at the people stuff”. Together, Julie and Jen explore the difficult mindset transition from individual contributor to leader, sharing practical strategies for new managers struggling with their evolving role and responsibilities.

In this conversation, Jen and Julie explore the identity crisis new leaders face when they’re no longer hands-on with the work and must instead take a higher-level view of team goals and organizational impact. They discuss strategies for balancing personal work satisfaction with leadership responsibilities, including how to develop each team member while coaching them to solve their own problems rather than providing all the answers. 

The episode also covers how to allow your team to function independently so you can take a vacation.

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about creating the conditions for your team to thrive. By shifting your focus from doing to enabling, you’ll not only become a more effective leader, but you’ll rediscover what makes work meaningful for both you and your team.

Key Highlights

• The identity shift: New leaders struggle when they realize their role has fundamentally changed from doing the work to enabling others to succeed 
• Stay connected to what you love: Find ways to maintain involvement in aspects of work that bring you joy, even as your role shifts 
• Take the 30,000-foot view: Step back to understand how your team connects to organizational goals and why your department exists 
• Coach, don’t solve: When team members bring problems, ask questions like “What do you think?” instead of immediately providing solutions 
• Create systems that work without you: Developing processes and documentation allows your team to function independently—so you can actually take vacation! 
• See each person individually: Get to know your team members’ goals, strengths, and motivations to help them develop professionally 
• Be their advocate: Fight for resources your team legitimately needs and remove barriers that prevent them from succeeding 
• Observe before changing: Take time to understand the current state before implementing changes to avoid breaking trust 
• Build peer relationships: Combat leadership loneliness by connecting with other leaders who understand your challenges 
• Your “leadership wake”: Every interaction creates ripples—you’re making an impact on your team’s culture whether you’re conscious of it or not

Full Bio

Julie is the Founder of Clear The Way Coaching & Consulting, a company focused on helping leaders, teams, and organizations “get better at the people stuff”. As a highly accomplished leadership coach, facilitator, speaker, and trusted advisor with over 15 years of experience, she partners with people who want to increase their effectiveness, navigate change, and achieve professional and personal success. She is deeply committed to ensuring everyone can incorporate new knowledge and skills into “real life” and thrive in today’s working environment.

Julie holds an M.A. in Organizational Development & Leadership from Fielding Graduate University and a B.A. in Sociology from University of Minnesota. She’s an ICF credentialed coach, a certified emotional intelligence assessor and facilitator, and holds certifications in several other individual, team, and leader assessments. She brings a diverse perspective from her leadership and learning roles within corporate, public sector, and nonprofit organizations spanning several industries.