The Message

This is for you. You’re the new manager—the high performer turned team lead, the developer turned director, the top closer now leading a crew. Whether you’re in tech, sales, operations, or any high-performing role, the shift is real. You’re great at the work. But now, the work has changed. And no one handed you a guide.

The Story

You crush your sales quota. You’re the rainmaker, the go-to closer, the one everyone counts on when the team needs a win. So they promote you. You celebrate. You think, “Finally, a chance to lead.”

Or maybe you’re the tech expert. You know the architecture better than anyone. You build systems, write elegant code, solve problems fast. Then you get promoted—and suddenly, you’re leading the people who now do the work you love.

And the fog rolls in.

Your first team meeting, they look at you with polite skepticism. The high-achievers, the veterans, the ones who already have their rhythm. You give a pep talk. They nod. Then go back to doing what they’ve always done.

You feel it—you’re no longer the hunter, you’re the herder. And the skills that make you great at execution? They don’t translate here. Now it’s about vision, coaching, feedback, conflict navigation. You’ve gotten some pointers, maybe even a course—but your amygdala (part of the brain that lights up with stress) doesn’t learn from checklists. You’re stressed.

You feel the weight of the role and a creeping worry that you’re not leading well. I get it. Right now, your amygdala is running the show—and that survival brain doesn’t know how to lead. It knows how to protect. It’s time to shift the pattern. Stress is the cue. Awareness is the lever. Choice is the path forward.

You miss the detail. The zone. The clarity of crushing problems with your own two hands.

The Shift

This is where most new leaders hit the wall. You think, “I’m great at doing the work. Why is leading the work so damn hard?”

The truth is that leadership isn’t a reward for performance. It’s a completely different job!

• Performance is about execution. Management is about optimization. Leadership is about alignment.
• Performance is about results. Management is about structure. Leadership is about direction.
• Performance is about doing. Management is about sustaining. Leadership is about becoming.
• Performance is about tasks. Management is about process. Leadership is about purpose.
• Performance is about speed. Management is about consistency. Leadership is about clarity.

In the Primal Leadership model, this is where fire meets friction. The fire is your drive to succeed. The friction is the inner critic whispering, “You’re not cut out for this.”

But what if the discomfort isn’t failure? What if it’s a call to evolve?

The Takeaway

Leading a high-performing team is less about managing and more about getting out of the way—while creating clarity, trust, and direction. Here’s what you need to shift:

1. 1. Clarity over Control – You don’t need all the answers. You need a vision clear enough for others to see themselves inside it. Set one shared outcome this quarter—like increasing client retention by 10%. Assign ownership, and revisit progress in your monthly check-in. One manager put it this way: “Once we named our outcome, the team got focused. I didn’t have to chase them—they chased the goal.”

   2. Presence over Posturing – Your team reads energy. Are you grounded in what you’re really trying to do here, or just good at sounding confident? Start your week with a 10-minute check-in. Ask each person to share one word that describes how they’re feeling. If you or they want to poo-poo the feelings, take note of that and track behavior instead. When the time comes, if they’re not a ‘team player’ AND their results aren’t up to par, it will be clear. Track themes over time—if stress shows up three weeks in a row, address it. A leader once said, “When I stopped pretending to be fine and just got real, the team started doing the same. That’s when the intimacy of the group deepened and results followed.”

   3. Feedback over Fixing – Stop solving their problems. Ask, reflect, listen. Swap one directive per meeting with, “What do you think the next step is?” Track how often your team solves issues without escalation—aim for a 20% drop in manager-led fixes. One direct report said, “You used to jump in fast. Now you ask questions. It makes me think for myself—and I like it.”

I repeat because it’s worth repeating: Leading a high-performing team isn’t about managing. It’s about getting out of the way—while creating clarity, trust, and direction. Here’s what you need to shift:

The Move

Feeling lost isn’t failure. It’s feedback. It’s your invitation to retrain your instincts.

Try this now:

• Choose one person on your team.
• Ask, “What’s one thing I could do that would help you do your best work?”
• Don’t interrupt. Don’t explain. Just listen.
• Write it down. Review it in a month. Did you act on it? Did they?

Leadership builds one listening moment at a time. When you stop trying to prove yourself, you start to see yourself. And when your team feels seen—they follow.

This is the Primal Edge: Wake. Lead. Win.

________________________________

Curious about your overall ‘wellness’, check out a wellness assessment here  from Princeton

Want more tools to lead with clarity? Visit coachtheleaders.com or read more on AboutBoulder.com.

Kate Galt Primal Leadership Business Coaching

Kate Galt coaches and challenges leaders at all levels— from entrepreneurs to seasoned executives— to sharpen their vision, articulate key messages so they connect and inspire, and make decisive, strategic moves that drive real business growth. Based in Boulder, Colorado, she works with individuals and teams to strengthen leadership, improve team dynamics, and achieve measurable results.

Her coaching is rooted in Primal Leadership—because the strongest leaders move with instinct, command presence without force, and create unshakable trust through raw, real connection.

Like any driven person, Kate is always figuring out how to do it all—running a business, raising two kids with her equally involved husband, and still making time for the adventure that brought her to Colorado in 1998. Whether it’s snowboarding, mountain biking, or chasing an ultimate frisbee, she knows the best leadership isn’t just learned—it’s lived.

The bottom line? Kate makes good leaders great.

Curious about what makes her coaching style so impactful? Book a call and experience it for yourself at CoachTheLeaders.com.