I had zero retail experience. Not even a part-time mall job.

So when I was promoted to lead the expansion of ClearNET’s corporate stores program, I knew I had to lead differently.

Instead of pretending to have all the answers, I focused on building the conditions for the right answers to emerge—from the people closest to the work.

As we scaled rapidly, we added store managers, area managers, operations, real estate, communications, merchandising—you name it. Suddenly, we had a much bigger team, more specialized roles, and a flood of overlapping initiatives.

I knew if we didn’t stay connected and aligned, we’d stall.

So I set up a weekly cross-functional leadership meeting. Each manager shared updates, raised issues, and flagged decisions. My role wasn’t to dictate—it was to guide. I made sure people had the space to challenge each other, coordinate timelines, and ensure their work was actually executable at store level.

One day, my Director of Operations pulled me aside. He was frustrated with how long decisions were taking.

“Why don’t you just step in and make the call?” he asked.

My answer:

“I make all the decisions—I just don’t tell anyone.”

That wasn’t a deflection. It was intentional.

I didn’t want compliance. I wanted ownership.

I wanted people to bring forward their best thinking, pressure test it with peers, and walk out of the room saying:

“This is mine. I’m going to make it happen.”

That’s autonomy. And autonomy is the bridge between trust and accountability.

You don’t get a high-performing team by giving all the answers.

You get it by creating the space for your team to find—and own—the best answers together.

#Leadership #Autonomy #Accountability #Culture #RetailLeadership #TeamAlignment #IntrinsicMotivation #ClearNET #GrowthMindset