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Enablement is something we design for others. We build learning journeys, feedback loops, structured onboarding, performance conversations, and toolkits so teams can thrive. But here’s a question I’ve been sitting with.

What if we enabled ourselves the way we enable teams?

• Would we be clearer about our goals?
• Would we build in time to learn, reflect, and improve?
• Would we ask for support more often instead of trying to power through?

I’ve coached hundreds of managers and team leads, and the irony isn’t lost on me. We spend hours refining enablement strategies for our teams, but leave our own development to the odd podcast, post, or scribbled-down thought in between meetings.

We want our teams to have clarity. But are we clear with ourselves?

In enablement work, we start with objectives. We define what good looks like. We map back from outcomes. That same discipline could be powerful if we applied it to our own careers.

Ask yourself: what are you working towards right now? And not just “hit target” or “deliver the project.” I mean what are you really building? What do you want your role, your performance, your leadership to look like in six months?

Vague ambition is the enemy of intentional growth. And we’re often vague with ourselves because no one’s formally holding us accountable. But what if you were your own enabler?

In team enablement, we check in regularly. We course-correct. We give real-time feedback. When was the last time you gave yourself a performance review that wasn’t driven by HR deadlines? When did you last ask someone for feedback that wasn’t about a task, but about how you show up, lead, or communicate?

The truth is, most of us are working so fast that we’ve normalised a lack of intentional development. We’re excellent at helping others get better, and completely winging it when it comes to ourselves.

I know this because I’ve done it too. Early in my career, I was so focussed on enabling others that I never stopped to design my own growth. It’s only when I began to treat myself like one of my own team members that things shifted. That’s when I started setting clearer goals, seeking support, and investing in feedback.

There’s also something to be said for the tools and time we reserve for others. We create templates for others to reflect, we give them language for hard conversations, we create space for learning. What would it look like to do the same for ourselves?

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time helping your team grow, here’s an invitation:

• Give yourself the same structure, clarity, and space. You don’t need a full enablement plan with slides and milestones. Just start where you are.
• Define what good looks like for you this quarter. Set one development objective that’s just for you.
• Find a person you trust and ask for honest feedback.
• Take twenty minutes once a week to reflect, instead of scrolling through a to-do list.

We often talk about high-performing teams. But the truth is, high-performing leaders are the ones who make them possible. And that performance starts with self-awareness and intention.

Enable yourself the way you enable others. You might be surprised what shifts.