As an artist, I’ve realized that the most difficult part is not beginning but knowing when to stop. There’s always the urge to add one more stroke, one more layer, one more detail and one more adjustment. It’s a thin line and I am guilty of crossing that line often only to curse myself later for overdoing things.

I believe leadership is no different. The need to keep pushing — another meeting, another round of reviews, another layer of control — can easily cross the thin line where effort turns into noise. Stopping or stepping back a little is not about giving up, it is about making space for others to contribute, for new ideas to emerge and for the progress to take its natural course. Probably, the bravest action in that moment is no action.

As a leader, how do you know when it’s time to stop?