Thereby, the hover—where good leaders go to die.
Hovering is not leadership.
It’s hesitation.
If a team member can’t move forward without your constant supervision, the problem is not their lack of autonomy.
The problem is your avoidance of the real conversation.
In medical terms, hovering is a bandage, and coaching is the surgery.
When you hover, you reinforce dependency.
You build a shadow system around one person’s performance gap.
Eventually, your whole team feels it.
Trust erodes.
Confidence falters.
Momentum slows.
You’ve now built a culture of second-guessing and surveillance.
If you are a leader, stop doing this.
If someone like this leads you, get out.
Great teams are built by setting standards and standing back.
Not standing over.
Coaching up is the intentional investment in helping a person rise.
It involves clear expectations, radical candor, and structured accountability.
It’s not forever.
It’s measured, time-boxed, and outcomes-focused.
Coaching out is the other side of love.
It says, “This might not be the place where you thrive, and that’s okay.”
It’s a gift, not a punishment.
When you refuse to coach up or coach out, you sign up for hovering.
And hovering helps no one.
Hovering says, “I’m too afraid to let you fail.”
Coaching says, “I believe you can crush it!”
Here’s the punchline:
If someone constantly needs you, they don’t belong on the team, and you don’t belong in leadership.