Team leadership is the silent engine of your business’s revenue. If that engine is burning hot all the time, your growth is going to stall out, no matter how much you spend on ads.

I know this because I’ve been the person tightening the gears too tight at times.

I was the kind of boss I swore I’d never be. Back in the day, I had become a full-blown power-suit-shoulder-pad-pantyhose-power-pump tyrant. I thought leadership was about the image of authority and the weight of the “push.” I pushed my team exactly the way I pushed myself: which is to say, relentlessly and without much regard for the human being under the suit.

Eventually, the inevitable happened:

I had a team revolt.

It wasn’t their fault. It was mine. I had learned how to push, but I hadn’t learned how to lead.

The Power-Suit Era

In those early days, I operated under a dangerous assumption: that everyone was naturally on the same page, “drinking the Kool-Aid,” and ready to ride the bus at 100mph just because I was driving. I equated control with progress. I thought that if I wasn’t the one dictating every move, the whole operation would fall apart.

The revolt was a painful wake-up call. It’s one thing to have a difficult employee; it’s another thing entirely to realize you are the difficult boss. I had to face the reality that my mindset was broken. I was so focused on the output that I had completely ignored the people responsible for it.

Instead of getting defensive or firing everyone and starting over (the “easy” way out that usually solves nothing), I decided to do something different. I took the painful feedback, sat with it, and adopted a new mantra that changed my career:

“I work for you.”

The Pivot: Service Over Control

I started repeating that phrase to myself over and over. Every morning. Before every meeting. Every time I felt the urge to bark an order.

“I work for them.”

This wasn’t just a catchy phrase; it was a total psychological overhaul. Everything began to change:

• My Mindset: I stopped seeing myself as the commander and started seeing myself as the facilitator.
• My Day-to-Day Interactions: I spent less time talking and more time listening to what was actually blocking my team’s progress.
• My Presence: I stopped showing up to be followed and started showing up to serve.

The moment I embraced service over control, everything shifted. My role was no longer about ensuring everyone did exactly what I said; it was about removing obstacles, championing their ideas, and providing the clarity they needed to do their best work. When you stop trying to own the process and start owning the support of your people, they actually start owning the results.

The Results (The Real ROI of Leadership)

Some people think “servant leadership” sounds soft. They think it’s about being a pushover. In reality, it’s one of the most profitable business decisions I’ve ever made. At Upturn Coach, we focus on driving revenue, and let me tell you: unhappy teams are expensive.

By shifting my approach, the metrics followed:

1. Zero Team Turnover: We didn’t have a single person leave in five years. Do you know how much money that saves in recruitment and onboarding?
2. Leadership Awards: The same person who caused a revolt was later recognized for excellence in leadership.
3. The Waitlist: We had a list of talented people who were actually waiting for an opening to join our team.

When your team trusts you, they move faster. When they know you have their back, they take bigger risks that lead to bigger rewards. Leadership isn’t a vanity metric; it’s a growth strategy.

The Leadership Audit: 4 Questions for Your Team

Are you struggling with team leadership? Or worse, do you think you’re doing great while your team is secretly planning a mutiny?

If you want to know how your leadership is reflecting on your business, you need to ask your team these four specific questions. Be warned: the answers might sting, but they are the roadmap to your improvement.

1. “If I weren’t in my role tomorrow, what would you miss most, and least, about my leadership?” (This finds your strengths and your friction points.)
2. “How do you describe our business/team when someone asks you what we do?” (This tests whether you’ve provided enough clarity and alignment.)
3. “If you could redesign how I support you, what would change?” (This identifies the obstacles you are currently failing to remove.)
4. “What’s the one thing you would want to say to our customers, but you don’t because it’s not ‘appropriate’?” (This uncovers the raw truth about your product or service that your team is seeing every day.)

Stop Marketing and Start Profiting

At Upturn Coach, I help small businesses Stop Marketing and Start Profiting. A huge part of that profit comes from having the right team doing the right things without a tyrant breathing down their neck.

Whether you need a Fractional CMO to lead your marketing department or coaching to help you navigate your own “power-suit” phase, I’m here to help. Your team leadership is a critical part of your marketing ecosystem. If you can’t lead the people who talk to your customers, your marketing will always be a leaky bucket.

Let’s fix the leadership, clear the path, and get back to the business of growing your revenue.

: JL

P.S. The photo below is me in a high-level strategy conference with my lead “Fursisstant,” Hank. He often has complaints about the lack of treats, but he is my biggest supporter and a constant reminder that sometimes the best thing a leader can do is just be present and supportive.