hover less, multiply more: what a dog taught us about leadership and letting go

when care gets a little too close

Our old dog Cadi is what we lovingly call a close talker. She means well - she’s big, white, loyal, and endlessly affectionate - but she doesn’t quite know the concept of personal space.

If you’re sitting on the couch, Cadi is hovering two inches from your face, staring lovingly and breathing heavily, like she’s guarding your every move.

It’s funny (and a little alarming) until you realize how often we do the same thing in leadership. We hover. We stay close. We insert ourselves into every update, every draft, every conversation and not because we don’t trust our teams, but because we care deeply about the outcome.

But sometimes, care that’s too close becomes control.

when leaders hover instead of multiply

We’ve seen this play out in districts across Kentucky: leaders who mean well, but can’t quite let go. A superintendent who still writes every parent letter. A communications director who personally approves every social post. A team that keeps using the same process long after it’s served its purpose.

It’s not lack of trust; it’s over-care. It’s the leadership version of Cadi’s hovering: wanting to help, but standing just a little too close.

Recently, one of our dearest clients, Owens Saylor, encouraged our team to read Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

The book names what we’ve been seeing (and feeling) for years: the difference between diminishers, who unintentionally limit their team’s growth by staying too involved, and multipliers, who create space for others to think, lead, and own.

We love that this conversation is spreading statewide. The November episode of KASS Live will feature a conversation with one of the Multipliers authors which is a perfect reminder that this isn’t just theory. Kentucky’s education leaders are leaning in to the idea that great leadership doesn’t mean doing more; it means multiplying capacity.

how we help leaders let go

At The Alchemy Collaborative, that’s exactly how we approach our partnerships.

We don’t hover. We don’t swoop in to “fix” things.

Instead, we help school and district leaders build systems that amplify their own strengths: clear communication structures, design tools, and storytelling rhythms that empower their teams long after we step back.

Our work is about drawing out the gold that’s already there: the creative ideas, the steady leadership, the trusted voices within each district.

When those internal capacities are strengthened, leaders can breathe again AND feel confident that their message and mission will carry forward without them hovering over every detail.

Because when we trust people to lead, they usually rise higher than we imagined.

lessons from a close talker

So here’s to Cadi, our unintentional leadership coach: the big, friendly reminder that sometimes our presence can crowd the very people we’re trying to support.

Let’s hover less. Trust more.

Let’s multiply capacity instead of managing every move.

Let’s design systems that make room for others to step forward...even if it means stepping back ourselves.

 “We don’t build dependency; we build capacity. Because real transformation happens when leaders trust their people and let go.”

If you’re ready to lead like a multiplier, with systems that sustain themselves and stories that grow stronger over time, let’s talk.

Reach out to The Alchemy Collaborative, and join us in watching the November episode of KASS Live as Kentucky leaders explore how to lead without hovering.