The start of a new year has a way of forcing a reality check. We reset calendars, recommit to goals, and convince ourselves that if we just try a little harder or hold on a little tighter, this will be the year everything runs exactly the way we want it to.
But sometimes the work isn’t about tightening our grip. Sometimes it’s about knowing when to let go.
The HETMA Virtual Conference is coming up, and while I didn’t create it, I took it over at a pivotal moment. By the time I stepped in, the foundation was there, but the future wasn’t guaranteed. Over the next three years, it grew, evolved, and found its footing. Along the way, we were fortunate enough to earn two Best Conference awards, something I remain deeply proud of and grateful for.
This year will be different. For the second year in a row, the Virtual Conference is no longer under my direct control.
And if I’m being honest, that hasn’t been easy.
There’s something uniquely challenging about stewarding a program through its formative years. You invest time, energy, and care not just into what it is, but into what it could become. You learn its rhythms, its pain points, and its potential. Letting go of that responsibility, even when it’s the right decision, can feel like stepping back from something you helped shape into success.
That instinct to hold on often gets framed as passion or commitment. But more often, it’s control wearing a friendly disguise.
Delegation isn’t disengagement. It’s trust. It’s recognizing that leadership isn’t about being indispensable, but about making yourself unnecessary in the day-to-day. It means accepting that others will bring different ideas, different approaches, and sometimes different outcomes than you would have chosen.
Watching something you helped guide continue under new leadership can be uncomfortable. You’ll notice changes immediately. You’ll resist the urge to comment. You’ll have to remind yourself that continuity doesn’t require sameness.
January is about starting engines. It’s about recommitting to the goal, even when your role changes. The goal of the Virtual Conference was never personal ownership. It was always about serving the community, creating access, and building connections. That goal hasn’t changed, even if my hands are no longer on the controls.
So, this year, my recommitment looks different. It’s choosing support over supervision. Perspective over proximity. Trust over control.
New year. Same goal. Just a different way forward.
