Find Good People and Let Them Go
At Formula 50, we’ve learned that leadership doesn’t mean controlling every detail or holding the reins too tight. It means knowing when to trust, when to step back, and when to let good people run with a vision. That idea showed up in a big way at a recent YPO event we helped host with Jay Leno.
The whole thing started with an idea from one of my peers , he had a picture in his head of what the evening could be, how it should flow, and the kind of energy it needed. He didn’t need us to micromanage, just to give him the space and confidence to bring it to life. And he nailed it.
What stood out that night wasn’t just the big names or the polished production. It was the people. Some who’d never been to a YPO event before walked away saying it opened their eyes. Others said it sparked an interest in something new…cars, community, conversation. We even had folks who admitted they weren’t “car people” at all but left wanting to learn more about Porsches after Jay Leno’s talk.
That’s the power of giving people room to lead. Don didn’t need permission to make every call. He needed trust, and trust creates ownership. When someone feels like it’s their project, not just a task assigned to them, everything changes.
Leadership Isn’t About Control
We talk a lot about leadership inside Formula 50 because every business we work with has its own version of it. Some founders hold things too close. Others throw everything out there and hope for the best. The balance sits somewhere in between.
Letting go doesn’t mean disengaging. It means believing in your people enough to let them surprise you. We’ve seen that same pattern across industries whether it’s building a startup, running an event, or launching a new product, the best results come when you set the direction and then trust capable people to figure out how to get there.
There’s a quote Justin often uses that came up again after that event: “Whatever you’re worrying about probably isn’t what you should be worrying about.” It hits home because so much of leadership is about focus. We tend to stress over the wrong details while the real opportunities pass quietly by.
Shared Experiences Build Stronger Leaders
That night with Jay wasn’t about cars. It was about curiosity about being exposed to something different, hearing a new story, seeing passion in action. When people experience that kind of energy together, it changes how they lead. It reminds them that leadership isn’t built in spreadsheets or boardrooms; it’s built in the moments where you learn something you didn’t expect to.
We’ve seen that same dynamic across Formula 50, inside our own team and with the founders and companies we support. When you bring people into something new, they connect differently. They lead differently.
The Quiet Leaders Matter Too
Most of us at Formula 50 aren’t loud leaders. We relate more to the quiet, thoughtful types who let their work speak first. But sharing stories, opening up, and letting people in, that’s how you grow. The more we talk about what we’re learning, the more people connect with it.
That’s been one of the unexpected upsides of putting more of our voice out there this year. People we’ve known for years still say, “I didn’t know that about you.” Those conversations spark something real.
It All Comes Back to Trust
The best teams, the ones that make things happen, aren’t the ones with the most rules or the longest checklists. They’re the ones where people feel empowered to take ownership and leaders trust them to deliver.
That’s what we saw at the YPO event, and it’s what we keep building at Formula 50. Leadership isn’t about giving people tasks — it’s about giving them the freedom to create something worth being proud of.