Lead, Don't Rescue Part 3: What Happens When You Lead? by Wes Mast

So you stop being the hero.

You stop fixing everything.
You resist the urge to jump in.
You start leading, developing, and challenging instead.

And then… the magic happens.

It Doesn’t Look Like Magic at First

Let’s be real—leading instead of rescuing can be uncomfortable at first. Things slow down. People struggle. You might even doubt yourself.

You’ll be tempted to step back in and just do it yourself.

Mindset shift - Hello, my name is Wes and I am an achiever, a high achiever, an over-achiever, if I'm honest. I like to get things done, see the progress, and push it over the finish line. However, once our team started growing I realized that me “doing” limited opportunities for others to step up. I began to visualize myself as a coach and when I took over a project or task, I told myself “I’m a coach who runs from the sideline, steals the ball from the player, and scores the points”. Think about that -how much sense does that make? How fast would that coach get penalized or fired? As the business owner, you have the option to be the coach who does that- the problem is you are training your team to only bring the ball so far, because they know if it gets tough, Coach will run to score goal anyway. So, why…even apply maximum effort?

If you hold the line and stay committed to growth over control, you’ll see what I’ve seen again and again:

1. People Rise

When you stop doing it for them, they learn to do it for themselves.
You’ll watch confidence grow. Ownership increase. Initiative spark.

Sometimes all they needed was your belief—and your refusal to bail them out.

“I didn’t think I could… but you let me try. Now I know I can.”

2. Capacity Expands

Every problem you used to carry alone is now a shared weight.
You don’t have to be in every meeting, put out every fire, or answer every question.

Instead of being the doer of all things, you become the developer of people who do great things.

That’s freedom.

3. Culture Shifts

As your team begins to grow, the entire environment changes.

You move from:

• Firefighting → Forward-thinking
  
  
• Dependence → Development
  
  
• Busyness → Focus
  
  
• Pressure → Ownership
  
  

This shift doesn’t just affect individuals—it changes the DNA of your organization.

And here’s the part I love most:
You start to see people step into their calling. They start to lead others. And suddenly, you're no longer the ceiling—you’ve become the launch pad.

It's a Long Game—But It’s the Right Game

Will leading instead of rescuing take more time upfront? Yes.
Will it be messier at times? Also yes.
Will the payoff be worth it? Absolutely.

Because here’s what you’ll gain:

• Stronger leaders.
  
  
• A more empowered team.
  
  
• A business, ministry, or movement that grows without you being the bottleneck.

🚨STOP🚨stealing the ball from team and scoring - ⭐START⭐calling plays and coaching excellence.

In the next post, we’re going to look at the signs you might still be rescuing—even if it looks like leadership on the surface.

But for now, ask yourself:
What would happen if I let go of control… and started growing people instead?

That’s the kind of leadership that lasts.

🤔Do you find yourself tempted to rescue more than lead? We’d love to show you more about what we do at LevelUp2Lead.

Find out about our Next Level Leadership Academy and Membership and our more exclusive business services.

🔥 Up Next:

Part 4: 3 Signs You Might Be Rescuing Instead of Leading – Let’s get honest about the subtle ways we keep the cape on… and how to take it off.