Stop Doing and Start Leading: How to Truly Level Up Your Career

When it comes to career advancement, most professionals focus on doing more—more tasks, more meetings, more output. Doing isn’t what gets you your next promotion. It’s learning how to let go.

Across her years working with global leaders, executive coach Kristen Johnson has seen one consistent trap derail high performers: they keep relying on the skills that got them to their current role including reliability, problem-solving, and mastery, rather than developing the mindset needed to level up.

“The very skills that make you great now are often the same ones that hold you back from the next level,” Kristen explains.

From Doing to Designing

Middle managers often act as the bridge between execution and strategy. They’re the “engine” that keeps an organization running. But Kristen challenges that mindset: You can’t move into leadership if you’re still running the engine.

Instead, she coaches clients to evolve from being the doer to becoming the architect. That means pulling back the lens and asking questions like:

• What systems can I build so my team succeeds without me?

• How can I create decision-making models that empower others?

• Am I developing the next generation of leaders or clinging to control out of fear?

As Kristen puts it, “You’re not in control of all the decisions. Even CEOs report to boards. Leadership is not about control; it’s about alignment.”

The Mindset of Letting Go

Letting go can feel counterintuitive, especially in times of uncertainty. With layoffs, reorganizations, and shifting priorities, many leaders grip tighter, afraid to lose their relevance. But that “over-control” mindset stifles both growth and well-being.

Kristen urges leaders to focus on people over performance. “Stop doing the things that got you here and start focusing on developing others,” she says. “It’s not about validation; it’s about alignment.”

Redefining Success

For many professionals, getting a promotion has long been synonymous with success. Bigger title. Bigger paycheck. Bigger stress. But Kristen reminds us that advancement isn’t always leveling up. Sometimes, staying where you are is the braver move.

She recalls coaching a senior executive who turned down a high-profile role because it didn’t align with his values. He prioritized time with family, mentoring younger leaders, and building a rhythm that gave him balance. “Once he defined what success really meant to him,” Kristen says, “he found peace and purpose.”

The Power of Pause

Whether you’re chasing your next promotion or considering a pivot, Kristen believes your greatest power lies in the pause.

“We move so fast with emails, meetings, distractions but transformation happens when you pause long enough to ask, What do I really want?”

That pause allows you to realign with your values, reassess your goals, and design the next chapter of your career, intentionally.

Final Thought: Own Your Growth Blueprint

At the end of the day, Kristen says you are responsible for your growth. Your company doesn’t owe you development. Your boss doesn’t owe you a roadmap. You create your own blueprint.

So pause. Reflect. Build relationships. Communicate your goals. Then take action. Because no one can level up for you.

🎧 Want to hear the unfiltered truth about burnout, tactical empathy, and the one question Kristen asks every client before a promotion?

👉 Listen to Stuck in Middle Management? How to Level Up, Get Promoted, and Lead at the Next Level on Work Unscripted here with Kristen Johnson to uncover even more insights.