How Great Advancement Leaders Know When to Lean In—and When to Step Back

When you step into a senior advancement executive role, it may seem like the best way to help your team reach their full potential is to treat everyone the same. Not every person on your team needs the same things from you as a leader.

Someone stepping into a first AVP role may bring years of experience and still need clarity as they navigate how to lead a team of leaders. A more experienced fundraising leader may understand campaign mechanics and strategy but need coaching to navigate the politics of your institution.

What I see most frequently with advancement executive clients is the challenge of knowing when to lean in and when to step back.

Beyond Either/Or Leadership

Here are the two leadership patterns I see most often in advancement executives, especially when the pressure is high and everything moves quickly:

• Highly directive: The leader gives team members the exact answers or directions to follow. It’s fast in the moment, but over time it creates bottlenecks and burnout.

• Hands-off: The leader trusts (or hopes) talented people will figure it out. It feels like a safer way to avoid being a micromanager, but over time it becomes isolating.

Neither approach works in every situation. The art of leadership is learning to flex between clarity and autonomy, depending on what each person needs.

Check whether your “default mode” is clarity without freedom—or freedom without clarity.

This balance between clarity and autonomy sounds simple, but it’s where most leaders struggle. I’ve seen it in my clients—and I’ve learned it firsthand.

When I Learned This the Hard Way

Early in my own leadership, I didn’t recognize the signs to let go of closely guiding a new manager. She was ready to operate more autonomously, but I kept providing structure that no longer served her. I unintentionally held her back—and it held me back, too. She didn’t need oversight; she needed my trust.

Later, I assumed a manager I’d hired with years of experience could navigate a new scope of authority without much from me. Her team unraveled under the weight of unclear expectations. By not more closely coaching her, I played a role in that.

Those experiences taught me the cost of leading without considering where the leaders were in their roles and careers, and what approach could best support them. Great leaders understand there’s a spectrum of what’s needed from them—and they adjust. The right support at the right time builds thriving leaders and high-performing advancement teams.

When someone struggles or stalls, check whether you’re over-leading or under-leading for where they are now.

Recognizing where each person is—and responding with intention—becomes a discipline when you have the right framework.

How to Determine What Approach Is Needed

Before you decide how much direction or autonomy to give, pause and ask:

• Where is this person in their career and in this role?

• What strengths have made them successful—and what new skills does this work require?

• Do they have the relationships and political insight to navigate our university’s culture?

• Where could they use coaching, feedback, or targeted training to succeed faster?

These questions help you move beyond your default style and lead the person in front of you where they are.

We also use the Hogan Assessment in our executive advisory work to help identify what drives each person, how they respond under stress, and what keeps them motivated. That data gives you language and clarity so you can flex your leadership with intention.

Use curiosity—not assumption—to decide how much guidance or freedom to give.

Adaptive Leadership in Practice

Traditional leadership models often present clear categories—directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. At Hocking Leadership, we believe leadership is less about fitting into boxes and more about movement along a spectrum.

Think of this as a Clarity-to-Autonomy Spectrum:

• You start by providing structure and direction when the person or project is new.

• You coach as confidence builds and understanding deepens.

• You support as they take greater ownership but still need a thought partner.

• You step back when trust and capability are firmly in place.

Sometimes the same team member will need clarity on Monday and autonomy by Friday on one project but may need more coaching on another project that’s newer to them. The work evolves, and so does your leadership.

The goal isn’t to progress linearly or perfectly. It’s to stay attuned to what’s needed in the moment and to adjust before the gap between your leadership style and their needs grows too wide.

Your adaptability—more than your expertise—is what multiplies your team’s results.

Common Stuck Points (and Better Moves)

Assuming tenure equals readiness
Someone you’ve known for years earns an internal promotion. Because they’ve been in the organization, you assume they’ll run on autopilot. In reality, they’re starting in a new role and need clarity from you early on—decisionmaking power, expectations, and what success looks like.

Defaulting to “do as I say” under pressure
Big goal, short timeline, team not meeting expectations—it’s tempting to hand out task lists. Directing everything keeps the work on your plate long term. Instead, set the outcome clearly and walk with them through the first steps. Then step back.

Avoiding clarity to seem empowering
You don’t want to micromanage, so you leave the path vague. Autonomy doesn’t mean absence. Mutually agreed-upon check-ins, specific milestones, and clear feedback create alignment and trust.

Expecting new executives to “just know”
That AVP you hired may have run teams before, but they still need to know your expectations and how authority flows here. Give them the playbook before you hand them the ball.

Leadership adaptability means choosing your moments and methods with intention.

Your Adaptable Outcomes

Studies show that leaders who intentionally adapt their management approach are more likely to exhibit higher team engagement. In my work with advancement executives, that engagement translates directly into stronger fundraising outcomes and employee retention.

When you support people the way they need it, they know what’s expected, feel supported, and rise to challenges faster. You protect yourself from both burnout and the “hero leader” trap where every answer has to come from you.

Great leaders create clarity, context, and space for people to rise—and then adjust as they grow.

If you’re stepping into your own next big goal—a campaign, a new VP role, a reorganized team—and want to lead with confidence and adaptability, message me to schedule a confidential 20-minute conversation about how we can partner to help your advancement executives and teams thrive.