Outcomes > Learning Opportunities - by Shreyas Doshi

Leaders often face a stark trade-off: do you let a team member present in a critical customer meeting or CEO review, or do you step in to maximize the odds of success? The piece argues that when the outcome truly matters, the correct call is to prioritize the result, even if it means denying a learning moment. It uses concrete examples-stepping up for a high-risk customer demo and refusing a junior's request to sit in on a CEO meeting-to illustrate that the leader's primary responsibility is to the company, not the individual's development.

The deeper problem, however, isn't the decision itself but how it's communicated. The author frames every leadership snag as a messaging issue, insisting that skillful, candid, and empathetic conversation can soften the blow of an unpopular call. By framing the denial as a strategic choice and delivering it with respect, leaders avoid creating frustration or resentment while still protecting outcomes.

To avoid long-term damage to career growth, the article recommends pairing tough calls with equivalent learning opportunities elsewhere-like assigning a town-hall presentation instead of a CEO briefing. This balances immediate outcome risk with the employee's development pipeline, ensuring that high-stakes exposure remains a scarce but purposeful resource rather than a casualty of short-term pragmatism.