Boomerang Leaders — Throw to Grow
I still remember the first time I tried to throw a boomerang. I was just a kid, standing in an open field with a brand-new wooden boomerang in my hands, convinced that — within minutes — I’d be watching it glide effortlessly through the air and return right back to me.
But reality hit differently.
Throw after throw, I watched my boomerang veer off in wild directions, nosedive into the dirt, and/or disappear into the bushes. No matter how hard I tried, the boomerang refused to come back. Frustration set in. Maybe I was holding it wrong? Maybe I wasn’t strong enough? Maybe — just maybe — boomerangs were a scam?
But then, after hundreds of failed attempts and multiple adjustments to my grip and angle, something changed. I threw the boomerang just right. The boomerang cut through the air, curved around beautifully, and — almost magically — came right back to me.
That moment taught me something I wouldn’t fully appreciate until much later: What you send out — if done correctly — will eventually return. And the same is true in leadership.
Equipping and Launching vs. Pressing and Holding
Here at Horizon Performance, we talk a lot about “equipping and launching.” The best leaders don’t hoard talent; rather, they invest in people, develop them for greater responsibility, and then release them when the time is right — even when difficult. Letting go of a valuable teammate is never easy, thus always takes courage. But the true measure of leadership isn’t how many people you can hold onto — it’s how many leaders you can launch.
In contrast, “press-and-hold” leaders refuse to let go. They recognize talent but grip it tightly, fearing that losing a key person will set them back. While this may seem like a smart short-term move, hoarding talent ultimately stifles both individual and organizational growth.
Four Marks of Equip-and-Launch Leaders
Equip-and-launch leaders embrace the boomerang mentality: What is invested in others will return in unexpected ways. Here’s what equip-and-launch leaders do that sets them apart:
1. Cultivate Confidence
- Equip-and-launch leaders believe in their people and actively work to enhance others’ skills, knowledge, and self-assurance.
- Instead of micromanaging others, they empower others to take ownership of challenges and decisions.
- Captain Mike Scott was my first Company Commander. He always said, “When you are a Company Commander…” Whether or not he realized it, Mike was speaking confidence into my soul. He could see my future before I believed it.
2. Coach Competence
- Equip-and-launch leaders provide intentional development, ensuring that those they lead are prepared for the next level.
- Through a blend of education, training, experiences, and feedback, they sharpen others’ skills and expand their capacity, so that team members are ready for greater responsibility.
3. Create Capacity
- Equip-and-launch leaders develop depth within their organizations so that when key personnel move on, the team remains strong.
- They see leadership as multiplication, not just maintenance, ensuring that new leaders are always rising.
4. Champion Change
- Equip-and-launch leaders embrace the natural cycle of growth and transition rather than resisting this cycle.
- When time for someone to step into a new opportunity, they celebrate rather than cling, trusting that launching leaders will ultimately strengthen the mission.
Four Marks of Press-and-Hold Leaders
Press-and-hold leaders operate with a control-over-growth mindset, which ultimately hinders both individuals and the organization. Here’s what press-and-hold leaders do differently from equip-and-launch leaders:
1. Cling to Control
- Press-and-hold leaders struggle to delegate responsibility, fearing that things won’t be done as well without their direct oversight.
- Instead of trusting their team, they micromanage, limiting opportunities for growth and innovation.
2. Choke Competence
- Press-and-hold leaders recognize talent but fail to fully develop it, keeping people dependent rather than empowered.
- Instead of coaching others for success, they withhold key experiences to ensure their team members don’t surpass them.
3. Create Congestion
- Because press-and-hold leaders hold onto people too long, bottlenecks form, limiting upward mobility within the organization.
- Their reluctance to release talent stalls progress, frustrating high-potential individuals who are ready for more responsibility. When this occurs, the organization’s best talent will be the first to leave.
4. Criticize Change
- Press-and-hold leaders resist transitions and view departures as betrayal rather than a sign of successful leadership.
- Instead of celebrating growth, they react negatively when someone moves on, missing the opportunity to expand their influence through that departing person’s success.
Conclusion: Throwing with the Right Intent
Learning to throw a boomerang as a kid taught me something important — if you throw it correctly, it will return. Likewise, great leaders know that when you equip and launch others, you can trust a return on your efforts.
But remember, if you grip a boomerang too tightly, release it at the wrong angle, or hesitate, it won’t come back the way it should.
So, leaders, the question is: Are you holding your “boomerang” too tightly, or are you throwing with the right intent?
Boomerang Leaders — Throw to Grow was originally published in Horizon Performance on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
