Are you leading with balance? How to lead, delegate, and build clinic trust

Oh hey. It’s Denzil 👋

Since my American pals were likely off celebrating on Friday (any fellow Arizonians out there? 🌵), I thought I'd wait a beat to show up in your inbox. Okay, here are a few thoughts:

Remember seesaws? When I was a kid, I loved that moment when both sides were perfectly level... until one little shift sent you flying.

Leadership is a little like that.

Recently, I was reminded of that balancing act while hosting Radio Front Desk.

In my conversation with Dr. Manju Asdir — a chiropractor, mentor, and multi-clinic owner turned leadership coach — I found myself thinking about how much of leadership lives in the in-between. Not in the big wins or the obvious failures, but in the subtle tensions we navigate every day. The moments where we’re asked to be both present and strategic, empathetic and boundaried, hands-on and hands-off.

And it got me thinking about some of the balances I’m still working to perfect as a leader, so I thought I’d share a few with you to see if they resonate:

1. Balancing relationship-building vs. boundary-setting

The work relationship is a tricky one. You’re always juggling the push-and-pull between working closely with your team and keeping a bit of professional space.

On the one hand, you’re constantly collaborating with these people. You rely on them, trust them, and work closely to build incredible things together. That kind of teamwork creates a sense of trust and openness that really does feel like a relationship.

But then there’s the other reality: work relationships aren’t friendships or family. There are always going to be boundaries, power dynamics, and unspoken lines, even if no one talks about them out loud.

Here’s one way I’ve learned to strike that balance: I like to build bonds with my team by being curious about our shared experiences, like chatting about parenthood with those who are also parents. But I always let them take the lead on how much they want to share and try not to be intrusive with my questions.

2. Balancing doing vs. delegation

When I chatted with Manju, she said something that stuck with me: “When you step back, people step up," which is something that, admittedly, I’m not the best at. 

I’m a doer. I like taking on the hard challenges. To me, validation means being given even more. But I hit an interesting point in leadership where it actually served me better to step back and let my team grab the helm. Having someone else put their full attention into something that I only have the capacity to offer part of my attention to... it lets people step up and frees up my plate to take on more.

But getting to that point takes time and intention. You need to recognize those little moments of mentorship opportunity, and choose to teach instead of do. It can be tough when, like me, your knee-jerk reaction is to jump into the fire. But if you give someone else the opportunity to put it out, you might be surprised.

3. Balancing moving forward vs. reflecting

Manju shared a story with me about her career-defining moment. Her trusted clinic manager (someone she considered both a friend and a linchpin of the practice) gave notice just two weeks after Manju returned from maternity leave. Of course, Manju was emotionally triggered by this, but instead of brushing it off and moving forward, she took the opportunity to reflect on how her role as a leader could have played a part in that decision. 

She realized she had unknowingly created a one-sided relationship. Her clinic manager knew everything about her, but she had failed to understand what was going on in her manager’s life, like the needs of her family that ultimately drove her decision to leave. 

That moment — and the time Manju took to reflect on her leadership — was a turning point that led her to rethink how her business systems were structured.

And I think that’s an important reminder. As tempting as it is to always be looking forward as a manager, sometimes the most important things we can learn actually come from taking the time to look back.

Hey, you gotta listen to this one 🎧

Honestly, I don’t think leadership will ever be a perfect balance, but maybe the goal isn’t to stay level. Maybe it’s to notice the shifts, adjust with care, and keep showing up anyway.

I think that sounds pretty level-headed, don’t you?

As always, I’d love to hear from you: What’s the hardest leadership balance you’re trying to manage right now? Just hit reply. I read every response.

Managing the wobble,

Denzil 🩵

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