WTF Wednesday.

WTF Wednesday. Where the “WTF” is sometimes entirely self-inflicted.

Years ago I walked into the grocery store, grabbed a cart, and started shopping.

Totally normal human activity.

Produce. Bread. A few random things I probably didn’t need.

I made it almost all the way around the store before something caught my eye in the cart.

A University of Kentucky Wildcats sweatshirt.

Now listen.

I am many things.

But someone who impulsively throws a Wildcats sweatshirt into a grocery cart is not one of them.

(Not because I'm not a fan - but I happen to prefer the arts over sports).

I stared at it for a second.

Then it hit me.

Oh no.

This was not my cart.

At some point when I wasn’t paying attention, I had confidently grabbed someone else’s grocery cart and pushed that bad boy halfway around the store.

Which raised an even bigger problem.

I had absolutely no idea where I picked it up.

This wasn't one of those - "Oops, almost took the wrong cart," moments.

I full-on stole this cart.

So now I'm standing there in the middle of the aisle with someone else's groceries and a Wildcats sweatshirt I definitely didn't choose.

I looked around.

No one appeared to be frantically searching for their missing cart.

No one was yelling, “Hey! Who stole my groceries?!”

So I did the only logical thing.

I pushed the cart back to the last aisle where I vaguely remembered having my actual cart, scanned the area like a criminal returning to the scene, spotted mine…

Grabbed it.

And got out of that aisle as fast as humanly possible.

To this day, I have no idea if the rightful owner ever found their cart.

But I do know this:

That moment reminds me of something I see leaders do all the time.

When their team is overwhelmed, they grab the cart.

They take on work that was never theirs to own.

Not because they’re bad leaders.

Because they’re trying to help.

But here’s the problem.

When leaders jump in and start pushing everyone else’s cart, they’re not actually helping the team learn how to navigate the store.

They’re just carrying the load themselves.

A basketball coach doesn’t run onto the court and start playing when the team gets tired.

(Look at that - a sports reference).

They coach the team on how to manage the game.

Sometimes the most helpful thing a leader can do is not grab the cart.

It’s to pause and ask:

“What do we need to prioritize?”

“What can wait?”

“How do we move forward together?”

Otherwise, before you know it…

You’re halfway through the store pushing something that was never yours to begin with.

And wondering how the hell you got there.

If leadership lately feels like you're pushing a cart full of things that were never yours to carry, you're not alone.

That’s the kind of work I help leaders untangle.

~Steph