The Power of Doing Nothing

Why Great Leaders Focus on People, Not Tasks

"I'm not going to do anything... If I do stuff, I won't be present for the people that need me." - Kevin Schnieders, CEO

What You'll Learn

• Why true leadership requires letting go of task-focused work

• How "doing nothing" creates space for more meaningful leadership

• The distinction between working well individually versus working through others

• Practical steps to shift from task-oriented to people-oriented leadership

In a world obsessed with productivity metrics, to-do lists, and tangible outcomes, one of the most counterintuitive yet powerful leadership insights often gets overlooked: sometimes the most effective thing a leader can do is... nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing. But as Kevin Schnieders, CEO of EDSI, puts it, "If I do stuff, I won't be present for the people that need me."

This perspective challenges our deeply-ingrained belief that leadership means being the hardest working, most productive person in the room. Yet true transformational leadership isn't about what you personally accomplish—it's about what you enable others to accomplish.

The Task-Oriented Leadership Trap

Many of us fall into leadership positions because we excel at doing things. We're the high performers, the reliable producers, the go-getters who consistently deliver results. When we're promoted into leadership, our instinct is to continue this pattern—to lead by example through our individual contributions.

This creates a fundamental tension: the very qualities that got us into leadership can become barriers to effective leadership.

When someone approaches Kevin saying they want to be a leader but find the leadership requirements so intense they can't do anything else, he sees this as a fundamental misunderstanding. Leadership at its core isn't about doing things yourself—it's about supporting the people who are doing the work and making them great.

As Kevin explains from his own experience: "When I took on this role as the CEO, I said 'I'm not going to do anything.' People are like 'What do you mean?' I'm like, 'No, I'm not doing anything.' They're like 'What do you mean?' And I said, 'Well, if I do stuff, I won't be present for the people that need me. So from 8 to 4:30, I can't do anything. I can't have any deadlines. I can't do anything but show up and serve other people.'"

This isn't about abdicating responsibility—it's quite the opposite. It's about recognizing that a leader's primary responsibility is to the people they lead, not to their personal task list

The Courage to Do Nothing

Making this shift requires courage. There's comfort in doing the work we know well. Tangible tasks provide immediate feedback and the satisfaction of completion. Checking items off our list feels productive.

In contrast, investing in people is messier, less predictable, and offers fewer immediate rewards. The return on investment might take months or years to materialize. And in the short term, your individual output will decrease—which can trigger anxiety about your value and contribution.

But the paradox of leadership is that by doing less yourself, you enable your team to do more collectively. By stepping back from tasks, you create space to step into true leadership.

From "Doing Well" to "Leading Well"

Kevin frames this choice clearly: "Do you want to work well individually, or do you want to work well through others?" Working well individually means prioritizing your personal productivity and expertise. Working well through others means prioritizing relationship-building, development, and support.

Great leaders understand that their impact is multiplied when they focus on developing their team rather than maintaining their individual contributor status. As a leader, your job isn't to be the best performer—it's to create the conditions for everyone on your team to perform at their best.

The Mindset of Servant Leadership

This approach aligns perfectly with the servant leadership philosophy that Kevin embodies. He refers to himself not just as CEO but as the "Chief Servant Officer" or "Chief Servant Leader." Leadership is fundamentally about service to others.

Servant leadership inverts the traditional power pyramid. Instead of team members working to make the leader look good, the leader works to help team members succeed. The leader's success is measured not by personal achievements but by the growth and accomplishment of those they lead.

How to Embrace the Power of "Doing Nothing"

If you're ready to make this shift in your leadership approach, here are practical steps to help you transition from task-oriented to people-oriented leadership:

1. Create Space in Your Calendar

The first step is intentional and may feel uncomfortable: block off significant time for your people. As Kevin puts it, "From 8 to 4:30, I can't do anything. I can't have any deadlines. I can't do anything but show up and serve other people."

Start by blocking at least 50% of your time for your team—for one-on-ones, coaching, development conversations, and simply being available when they need you.

2. Know Your People Deeply

Kevin emphasizes that leaders "have to know the birthdays of your direct reports' children" and understand the details of their lives. This isn't about surface-level knowledge but about genuine connection and understanding of who they are as people. When you truly know your team members, you can lead them more effectively, support their growth, and help them overcome obstacles.

3. Redefine Your Success Metrics

Stop measuring your contribution by tasks completed or personal achievements. Instead, start measuring by team development milestones, growth in your direct reports' capabilities, and the collective success of your team. Ask yourself: "How have I helped someone grow today?" rather than "What did I accomplish today?"

4. Embrace Discomfort

The transition will feel uncomfortable. You'll worry you're not contributing enough. You might feel less productive or valuable. Your task list will grow longer. Embrace this discomfort as a sign you're growing into a new leadership paradigm. Trust that your investment in people will yield greater returns than your individual contributions ever could.

5. Practice Deliberate Availability

Kevin emphasizes that as a leader, "we got to know what they need and it's just more important now to know that." Being available doesn't mean being reactive or constantly interrupted. It means creating structured space for connection while maintaining focus. Set clear "open door" hours, be fully present in one-on-ones, and develop systems for team members to flag when they need your support.

The Transformational Impact

When you shift from doing to developing, remarkable changes occur:

1. Team capability expands - As you invest in developing your people, their skills and confidence grow, expanding the collective capability of your team.

2. Engagement increases - People who feel supported, developed, and valued become more engaged and committed to their work and the organization.

3. Innovation flourishes - When team members feel empowered and supported, they're more likely to take creative risks and pursue innovative solutions.

4. Leadership multiplies - As you develop leaders within your team, your impact extends beyond your direct influence, creating a cascade of positive leadership throughout the organization.

5. You evolve - Perhaps most importantly, you grow from a competent manager into a transformational leader capable of inspiring and developing others.

The Courage to Lead Differently

Kevin suggests that leaders need three qualities: "They need to be clear, they need to be consistent, and they need to be curious." This approach to leadership—focusing on people rather than tasks—requires all three.

You must be clear about your leadership philosophy and communicate it consistently to your team. And you must cultivate curiosity about your people—their strengths, challenges, aspirations, and potential.

The choice to "do nothing" so you can lead more effectively requires courage. It means swimming against the cultural current of busyness and productivity. It means risking being misunderstood or judged. It means valuing impact over activity.

But the leaders who make this choice discover a profound truth: by letting go of doing, they make room for leading. And in that space, they find their greatest impact.

A Call to Leadership Transformation

Today, we want to challenge you to examine your leadership approach. Are you clinging to tasks because they're comfortable and provide immediate validation? Or are you creating space to truly lead—to develop, support, and empower your people?

The next time you find yourself drowning in tasks, remember Kevin's powerful insight: "If I do stuff, I won't be present for the people that need me."

True leadership isn't about what you do—it's about who you help others become. And sometimes, the most powerful action you can take is to stop doing and start leading.

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