Rebecca, a 45-year-old senior leader at a manufacturing company, recently received some familiar-sounding feedback from her boss: “You need to delegate more and think more strategically.” It’s the kind of advice that sounds reasonable—but when your team is stretched thin, attrition is rising, and leadership pressure keeps piling on, it doesn’t feel empowering. It feels like just one more demand. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. As a leadership coach, I hear this story often. And here’s what I’ve learned: feedback like this is just the tip of the iceberg. My work doesn’t begin with delegation strategies—it begins with understanding what’s beneath the surface. What’s happening in a leader’s…