People managers
How do I remove obstacles without taking over my team’s work?
Ask what’s in the way. Find out whether the obstacle is something only you can solve. Then address that part — and only that part — while leaving the work itself with the person who owns it. The discipline is recognising the difference between the blocker you need to clear and the task you’ve been asked to do, and staying firmly on the right side of that line.
Framework: Brian Hartzer’s Leadership Star · Practices: Clear the Way
Ask before you assume
The first move is “what’s getting in your way?” — not “let me look at what you’ve done so far.” This matters. Walking into someone’s work to diagnose the obstacle often turns into walking into their work to fix it. Ask first. Let them describe the friction. Usually the actual blocker is specific and narrow, and the intervention you need to make is much smaller than a full takeover.
Understand what kind of obstacle it is
Most obstacles fall into a few categories. Relationship friction — two people who aren’t communicating well, or a stakeholder who’s blocking progress. Resource gaps — time, budget, access, tools. Unclear direction — they don’t know what decision is actually theirs to make. Political blockers — something that can’t move until someone more senior moves it. Your job is different for each. For the last two, your authority as a manager is genuinely useful. For the first two, coaching is often more useful than intervention.
Name what you’re doing and why
When you do step in, say so explicitly: “I’m going to take this conversation with the stakeholder because I have a relationship there that will make it faster — but the work stays with you.” That distinction, named out loud, prevents the team member from experiencing your involvement as a loss of ownership. It also sets a clear expectation about what happens next.
Where judgment matters
Sometimes the obstacle is that the work has been done badly and needs to be redone. That’s a different conversation — a Clarity conversation about standards, not a Clear the Way conversation about removing friction. Be honest about which situation you’re actually in.
Think of the last time you stepped in to help someone on your team — did you remove the obstacle, or did you take the work?
Start with the book
The Leadership Star sets out all five practices in full, with the reasoning behind each one.