How to Balance Micromanagement and Empowerment

I've always prided myself on being a helpful leader, someone who shields my team from unnecessary roadblocks. I wanted to clear obstacles from their path so they could focus on their priorities. If there was a tedious task or firefighting to be done, I would eagerly take that on myself so my team could concentrate on the high-leverage work. But there came a point when I realized this approach might be doing more harm than good. And my desire to be helpful in this way was actually kind of selfish. My stepping in to “help” was inadvertently removing their agency and autonomy. This is because I was inadvertently taking ownership of tasks and problems that rightfully belonged to my team. While my intentions were good, this was actually depriving them of valuable learning experiences. By tackling challenges myself, I was: ✔ Limiting their growth: Problem-solving is a crucial skill for professional development. By swooping in, I was hindering their ability to develop critical thinking and independent decision-making. ✔ Stifling their agency: True ownership goes beyond completing tasks. It's about setting priorities, navigating challenges, and learning from mistakes. By taking the reins, I was undermining their sense of ownership and control. It was a hard realization, but so necessary. As a manager, it's tempting to want to solve every problem and clear every hurdle for your team. But that's not necessarily enabling them – it may actually be disempowering them. This realization was a powerful call to shift my leadership style and focus on: 💡 Empowerment: Equipping my team with the resources and support they need to tackle challenges head-on and in their own way. 💡 Guidance, not control: Offering guidance and mentorship instead of dictating solutions. Just because I might approach a situation a different way doesn’t mean that that’s the right or only way. 💡 Celebrating mistakes: Mistakes are inevitable, and often the best teachers. It’s important to create a space for learning and growth, where failure is seen as a stepping stone. Real helpfulness means giving people the space to take ownership, make mistakes, and grow on their own terms. My role as a leader and manager is to provide support, resources, and air cover when needed, not do everything myself. It was a humbling lesson, but one that's made me a better leader. #Leadership #GrowthMindset #Empowerment

“I’m not micromanaging, I’m being intentional.” I had a boss who used to say this all the time when the team confronted their micromanaging behavior. I remember looking up the definition of “intentional” to see how it was actually defined by Merriam-Webster because so many of us felt stifled, controlled, and resentful. Intentional leaders can help us maintain a positive mindset, reach goals, experience more clarity, and be more present. They can also increase our focus and commitment and bring more purpose and meaning to our lives. The transition from micromanaging to being intentional involves trust-building, delegation, and encouraging autonomy while maintaining accountability. Here are ways leaders can stop micromanaging: 1. Foster Trust and Autonomy ➡ Encourage employees to take ownership of their tasks and decisions. This empowerment builds their confidence and demonstrates trust in their abilities. ➡ Clearly communicate the outcomes you expect but allow employees to determine how they achieve these results. This approach gives them the freedom to use their skills and creativity. 2. Improve Communication ➡ Offer feedback that focuses on improvement and learning, rather than criticism. This helps in building a supportive environment that values growth. ➡ Create channels for two-way communication, where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns. This openness can lead to more collaborative problem-solving and innovation. 3. Delegate Effectively ➡ Delegate tasks based on employees’ strengths and areas for growth. This not only ensures task suitability but also aids in their professional development. ➡ Implement a system of regular check-ins rather than constant oversight. This approach balances accountability with autonomy, allowing leaders to monitor progress without overbearing supervision. 5. Cultivate a Positive Company Culture ➡ Encourage teamwork and peer support, fostering a culture where employees can rely on one another, reducing the dependency on constant supervision. ➡ Acknowledge individual and team achievements openly. Recognition reinforces positive behaviors and outcomes, motivating employees and reinforcing trust. 6. Self-Reflection and Seeking Feedback ➡ Regularly assess your management approach and be open to change. Self-awareness is key to understanding the impact of your actions on your team. ➡ Invite feedback from your team about your leadership style and their work environment. This can provide valuable insights into how you can support them better without micromanaging. By implementing these strategies, leaders can create an environment that values independence, fosters professional growth, and builds a strong foundation of trust and respect. Transitioning away from micromanagement to intentional leadership not only enhances employee satisfaction and engagement but also drives innovation and success for the organization. #leadership #micromanaging Happy Friday, friends! ❤️

🔍 Are you shielding your team 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ from the chaos above? Senior leaders often feel the need to protect their teams, absorbing a high degree of the stress, pressure and work as a result. I’ve seen first hand in my work as an executive coach and in my former life as CMO:  𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 👉 If you as the leader are carrying the large burden of stress and pressure, you risk being emotionally depleted and likely on the road to burnout, if you’re not already there.  From that place, it is impossible to lead effectively. 👉 If you are taking on a lion’s share of the work, in the name of “protecting your team,” you’re draining yourself of the capacity to focus on the big picture, coaching and developing your team, and other key priorities.  By keeping too much work on your plate, you also fail to give your reports the ability to learn and grow by doing. 👉 Sometimes, it’s beneficial to let your teams feel some of the 'heat.' Imagine your how your team would show up differently if they think it’s a pre-season game vs if they think it’s the Super Bowl.  Allowing your team to experience the urgency, stakes, and severity of challenges from above can enhance your team’s performance. It’s about finding the right balance – protecting your team, yet exposing them to the sometimes stressful realities and real-world business pressures. Effective leadership is not about bearing the entire burden, but about empowering your team to rise to the occasion. This isn't always easy. I'm curious, what strategies have you found effective in balancing protection and exposure for your team? Share your thoughts! #ThoughtfulThursdays #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #TeamDevelopment #EffectiveLeadership #Empowerment

Years ago, I worked for a leader who told the team, “Everyone is replaceable.” That felt as good as you might imagine. The thing that the leader failed to recognize was that they were also replaceable—and they should be. I see so many leaders struggling to keep up with work because they refuse to delegate. It’s born out of a lack of trust, panic that something will go wrong, and likely a fear of losing control. Sounds healthy, right? Obviously, it’s not. If you’re struggling to get it all done, think about delegating effectively: 📝 Write goals to help guide the transition you need, personally and professionally. This will help you to right-size your workload and feel better about your focus.  📍 Map out all of your work and responsibilities, and determine what’s a priority, what gives you energy, and what drains you. This will help you to identify the work that’s suited to you. 🔍 Identify areas/projects that can and should be delegated, and map out when you’d like it to happen. 🙋♀️ Identify the people best suited to take on this work and discuss it with them. Onboard, train, and support them—setting expectations is key to help you build trust. 💥 Empower people to think and act autonomously AND set expectations about checking in.  🧘Carry on by actively following up with those you’ve empowered. Coach them, praise them, be patient, and benefit from the results, which will bring clearer focus, time to think strategically, and a team invested in your mission. I’ve helped dozens of leaders find focus, prioritize what’s important to them, redefine their roles, build trust with teams, and succeed. Get in touch if you want an outsider’s point of view and solutions that genuinely work for you—the current version and the future version. #delegation #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipcoaching #goals #focus #focus

I doubled team output last year (when I stopped tracking every move) Great leaders know when to step back. Micromanagement is usually not about ego. Often, it’s care wrapped in anxiety. I see leaders thinking: → “If I don’t track it, it won’t get done” → “If I step back, we’ll lose control” Completely normal. But here’s what research shows: → High-control managers burn out 2x faster (Harvard) → Teams with trust-based autonomy ship 25% faster (Atlassian) Control feels safe short-term. Trust wins long-term. Here’s how the best leaders shift: → Ask yourself: what am I afraid of if I let go? → Pause when tempted to jump in → Practice “done” over “perfect” Letting go is creating space for people to lead with you. So, where will you step back this week? ✨ We don’t waste time over here ✨

The greatest leaders don’t control, they empower. 5 ways to empower your team effectively: — 1. Delegate decision making Letting employees own their actions is a superpower for: - Building trust - Growing confidence - Developing decision-making skills Vulnerable share: I HATED and felt ashamed when I was being a micromanager and didn’t empower the team. I felt insecure about the team being able to perform at the level we needed to scale and avoid burnout. Big mistake, big lesson learned the hard way. Give authority to your team members on projects or tasks they have expertise in. The more they get to decide → the better they’ll perform. — 2. Recognize and reward initiative Public acknowledgment in meetings and tangible rewards motivate employees. Create recognition programs that reward taking initiative, problem-solving, and innovation. We used Bonus(dot)ly (amazing tool, a must in my view), to help teammates recognize each other based on our core values. Awesome feature with tokens that you accumulate for rewards! Everyone needs to know their extra efforts aren’t going unseen. — 3. Invest in professional development Your team doesn’t want to do any more frickin LinkedIn learning courses. They invest more effort when they know you actually care about their growth. If I could go back in time, I would hire WAY more coaches/consultants for each area of the company that we wanted to master. Why on Earth did I try to solve so many things on my own, with SO many experts out there? — 4. Foster a culture of feedback: Tension is low when feedback flows freely in a company. This is something that I don’t regret. We were extremely open and yet candid with constant feedback. Anyone could challenge anyone (even the guy/girl from CS to the CEO), if it was done with solid facts and respect. We all acted as equal share-holders. The best feedback follows a simple structure: - Regular not random - Focuses on behavior, not personality - Future facing, not dwelling on the past And always aligned with the companies best interest and mission. — 5. Establish clear goals Empowerment doesn’t mean a free-for-all. Most of the times we felt that the team wasn’t internally aligned, was when the incentives and goals weren’t clear nor aligned between areas of the company, and the company’s long term. Let team members operate autonomously with: - Clear goals - Defined boundaries - Achievable milestones Most people “know” about the SMART goals concept, and yet when we analyze their goals, I usually see undefined or difficult to measure goals. Don’t overlook Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals. This allows for autonomy while still being aligned with company objectives. — If you’re ready to empower your people through your leadership…. Apply these 5 steps immediately. Your team members will thank you. — Repost ♻️ to your network to share, and follow Ignacio Carcavallo for more like this.

Tired of getting frantic calls from your team while you're on vacation? Here's the secret to enjoying your time off without your business falling apart... A CEO of an 8-figure company called me, inspired by my last post and ready to unplug on his upcoming vacation. His question? "How do I trust my team to handle things while I'm gone?" The answer is simple but not always easy: Make it okay for them to make mistakes. Mistakes are learning opportunities. When your team knows they can make decisions—even if they mess up sometimes—they become more confident, innovative, and resourceful. This not only lightens your load but also strengthens your team, fostering a culture of trust and growth. Imagine your team handling a client complaint gracefully or making an intelligent adjustment to a project timeline without your input. Here's how to create a culture of empowerment: 👉 Set Clear Expectations: Define roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority. Make sure everyone knows what's expected of them. 👉Provide Resources and Training: Equip your team with the tools and knowledge to make informed choices. 👉Foster Open Communication: Encourage open dialogue where everyone feels safe to share ideas, concerns, and potential solutions. 👉Celebrate Wins AND Lessons Learned: Recognize successes and learn from setbacks together. This dual approach builds trust, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and keeps your team motivated and engaged. Empowering your team is a win-win. You get peace of mind on vacation, and they gain valuable experience and confidence. When you build a thriving business, even when you're not around - you create an exponentially more valuable business. This is the power of empowering your team, a strategy that can transform your business and your leadership. #leadership #empowerment #teambuilding #delegation #culture #growth #trust #predictableprofits

Ever feel like you’re in a leadership tug-of-war, pulled between two choices that both seem right yet opposite? What if the answer isn’t to choose one or the other, but to leverage both as the third option? The startup founders and CEOs I see are always weighing decisions with no easy answers, like micromanaging versus empowering their team, or driving hard results versus showing compassion. Conventional thinking suggests making a choice, but what if I told you that the most effective leaders don’t simply choose one over the other? They find a third option: leveraging both poles to create a unique solution. Introducing Polarity Management Polarity Management is a decision-making framework designed to tackle problems that can’t be “solved” in the traditional sense because both options have benefits and drawbacks. It’s not about choosing one pole and sacrificing the other; it’s about acknowledging the value of each and finding a way to incorporate both. This third option allows you to create a more adaptive and resilient strategy that reflects the complex realities of running a startup. Real-Life Example Let’s say you’re torn between micromanaging your team to ensure tasks get done and empowering them to take ownership. The third option here isn’t compromise; it’s a new approach. Perhaps you decide to set up a weekly review system: you empower team members to take control of their initiatives but also have a structured time each week to review and course-correct. You’re not choosing one approach over the other; you’re leveraging both to create a new, more effective system. Your Challenge Identify a polarity you’re currently grappling with. It could be anything from short term growth versus long-term stability to ruthless prioritization versus creativity and ideation. Once identified, don’t think about which to choose; think about how to leverage both to find your unique third option. In this month’s newsletter, I share some third options that worked really well for clients. If you haven’t already, sign up through the link in the comments.

Let's talk about something that's been on my mind lately: why do people really leave their jobs? Sure, there are plenty of reasons like career growth, personal reasons, a career break, better opportunities, or a change of scenery. But there's one big factor that often gets overlooked: bad leadership. Research from the Harvard Business Review showed that a whopping 75% of people voluntarily leaving jobs don't quit their jobs, they quit their bosses (direct or dotted-line ones). It's not the company culture or the job itself driving people away; it's the quality of leadership they're experiencing day in and day out. Now, you might be wondering, what exactly makes a leader "bad"? Well, it could be a lack of communication, micromanagement, failure to provide feedback, or even a disregard for work-life balance. These behaviors not only demotivate employees but can also lead to increased stress, burnout, and ultimately, the decision to pack up and leave. So, what's the big deal if a few employees decide to move on, right? Wrong. The impact of losing talented individuals due to poor leadership can be devastating for a company. It's not just about the cost of hiring and training replacements; it's about the loss of institutional knowledge, team morale, and productivity. Here are 4 actions that can be taken to retain top talents: 1) Prioritize Communication and Transparency: Keep your team informed about company goals, changes, and decisions. Encourage open dialogue and actively listen to their concerns and ideas. 2) Foster a Culture of Trust and Autonomy: Avoid micromanaging, which stifles creativity and breeds resentment. Give your team members the freedom to take ownership of their work and trust them to deliver results. 3) Provide Regular Feedback and Recognition: Acknowledge your team's hard work and achievements. Offer constructive feedback to help them grow and develop professionally. 4) Lead by Example: Demonstrate integrity, empathy, and resilience in your actions and decisions. Show your team that you're invested in their success and well-being. By implementing these strategies, we can create an environment where the top talent feels valued, supported, and motivated to stay and grow with the company. Remember, being a leader isn't just about guiding a team to achieve business goals; it's about empowering individuals to reach their full potential and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. So, let's commit to being the kind of leaders our teams deserve – the kind that people want to follow, not flee from 😅 What are your thoughts on it? I would love to hear more about it from your experience! Reference: Harvard Business Review: "Why People Quit Their Jobs" by Travis Bradberry, June 2015.

If you’re hiring smart, capable people, then let them do their job. I wish I had done this more as a first-time leader. One of my biggest early mistakes? Hiring great people… and then staying in the weeds. I was: - Micromanaging - Overseeing decisions I didn’t need to - Spending time in all the wrong places And the worst part? It totally sent the wrong message. My team thought I didn’t trust them. But it wasn’t about their ability. It was about my inability to let go. Micromanaging doesn’t help your team. It holds them back. It wastes everyone’s time, creates doubt, and keeps you from leading where it matters. So here’s the reminder I still need sometimes: - Hire the right people - Trust the people you hired - Let go of the work you hired them to do - Lead from your zone of genius Sharing in case it hits for any first-time (or still-learning) managers. Where do you need to step back so your team can step up? #vChief #Fractional #FractionalLeadership #TrustYourTeam #PeopleFirst #ZoneOfGenius #LeadWithImpact #RisingLeaders #LeadershipLearnings #Founder #CEO