What I'm about to describe might be story that hits too close to home for some. If it does, pause for a second and take it all in. It's not criticism.
Imagine a project where you expect every task to be done perfectly right and correct. No bugs. No complaints. No review needed. Perfect. And only you can do it. You just need to have control over every little thing. Sounds familiar?
That has been me for quite a while now. I thought I was delivering quality, but I wasn't.
Control is a trap. It looks like protection, but it's really a prison. Especially in accessibility, where you think only you are the expert and no one can do what you do, this prison can get dangerous. Because when you refuse to trust your team, you're not just holding onto control, you're strangling potential.
Think about it. Every time you step in, believing only you can do it right, you're sending a message. You're screaming: "I don't trust you. I don't believe in your ability to learn and improve." That's not leadership. That's fear disguised as perfectionism.
Accessibility isn't about getting everything perfect on the first try (or maybe ever). It's about making room for everyone. Creating space for understanding, for mistakes and for growth. It's about recognising that we all learn differently and we all contribute differently.
With control, all you do is suffocate diversity and crush spirits.
So this is the lesson that I'm still learning as well. Trust is the oxygen in accessibility work. Let your team make mistakes. Let them learn. Because in the end, collective growth will always outshine individual perfection.