A leader who is praised for solving difficult problems may keep taking work back from the team. The behavior protects the next deadline while preventing others from developing. Over time, a strength becomes part of the constraint.
Calling this self-sabotage can describe the frustration without explaining the pattern.
Examine what the behavior protects
Choose a recent example. What did the executive do, what immediate problem did it solve and what cost appeared later?
Ask what would have felt risky about acting differently. The concern may involve quality, reputation, loyalty or a real gap in the team's capability. Avoid assigning an unconscious motive as a fact the executive cannot question.
Test an alternative in a bounded situation
Select work where another person can reasonably own the result. Agree on limits and a review point. Notice when the leader wants to intervene and compare the reason with the agreement.
Afterward, assess what happened. A successful handoff may challenge a fear; a failed one may reveal training or authority that was missing.
Some patterns benefit from skilled coaching or appropriate therapeutic support. Organizational conditions may need changing as well.
The useful outcome is a more accurate explanation and a workable alternative. A dramatic label is less helpful than understanding why a familiar response keeps returning and what evidence would support another one.
