The Shift from Command-and-Control to Empowering Leadership

Leadership today isn’t what it used to be. There was a time when managers could succeed by: * Enforcing rules instead of inspiring commitment * Expecting loyalty instead of earning trust * Rewarding long hours instead of real impact That time is gone. The workforce has changed. Employees expect clarity, autonomy, and purpose. The leadership habits that worked five years ago won’t work today. The Data Is Clear: Leadership Has Changed * Leaders who coach instead of command see a 32% increase in team performance (McKinsey). * Only 21% of employees trust their leadership (Gallup). * High psychological safety leads to 76% higher engagement and 50% lower turnover. Old leadership habits are breaking teams. The best leaders are shifting. Four Mindset Shifts You Need to Make in 2025 1. From “Control = Leadership” to “Trust = Leadership” Micromanagement kills performance. High-trust organizations outperform low-trust ones by 286% (Harvard Business Review). Instead of controlling every detail, ask: “Here’s the outcome I need. How do you think we should get there?” Coaching Question: If you stepped away for 30 days, would your team thrive or fall apart? 2. From “Effort Matters Most” to “Impact Matters Most” Busyness isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a failure of delegation. Overworked employees are 68% more likely to disengage. Results-driven teams see 23% higher profitability (Gallup). Instead of rewarding effort, ask: “How can we get this same result in half the time?” 3. From “I Give Feedback” to “I Create a Feedback Culture” Top-performing teams give feedback in all directions (Google). If your team never challenges you, they don’t feel safe enough to. Instead of one-way feedback, ask: “What’s one thing I can do to support you better?” 4. From “They Work for Me” to “I Work for Them” The best leaders don’t see their teams as employees—they see them as partners. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t they performing?” ask: “What’s getting in their way, and how can I remove it?” The Leaders Who Adapt Will Win The best people won’t stay for outdated leadership. And the leaders who don’t evolve will get left behind. So here’s the part no one tells you: You can keep leading the same way and keep getting the same results. Or—if you know it’s time for a shift—you can reach out. Because the best leaders don’t wait until they’re struggling to change. They change before they need to. Your move.

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

Stop leading like it's 1995. Modern vs. outdated leadership: Most managers want to "lead modern teams." But no one describes what that actually looks like. It's not a motivational speech or a new app - It's the small choices you make about: ↳How work gets done ↳How people grow ↳How decisions get made. Here are 11 shifts that separate outdated from modern leadership: 1. Performance Reviews ↳Old Style: Sitting down once a year for a formal review ↳New Style: Having short weekly check-ins to ask "What's working? What's stuck?" 2. Healthy Work Pace ↳Old Style: Sending late-night emails and expecting quick replies ↳New Style: Blocking off recharge time and encouraging people to log off 3. Productive Meetings ↳Old Style: Weekly status meetings for every project ↳New Style: Meeting only to decide or unblock 4. Tools and Automation ↳Old Style: Blocking new tools to keep control ↳New Style: Approving safe tools and automating repetitive work 5. Sharing Information ↳Old Style: Keeping updates in private meetings or email chains ↳New Style: Posting decisions and notes in a shared document or channel 6. Developing People ↳Old Style: Giving quick answers when someone brings a problem ↳New Style: Asking "What do you think we should try first?" 7. Everyday Recognition ↳Old Style: Saving praise for annual awards or big launches ↳New Style: Giving frequent, specific recognition in the moment 8. Scaling Leadership ↳Old Style: Requiring every small decision to come through the leader ↳New Style: Creating checklists or playbooks so others can decide without waiting 9. Planning and Strategy ↳Old Style: Writing a detailed annual plan and sticking to it relentlessly ↳New Style: Testing a small pilot, then expanding if it works 10. Hiring Talent ↳Old Style: Choosing candidates from well-known schools or companies ↳New Style: Choosing candidates who show they can learn quickly and adapt 11. Career Growth Paths ↳Old Style: Expecting employees to climb a single ladder ↳New Style: Supporting lateral moves, new skills, and trial roles None of these changes require a new budget or a new title. They just require managers willing to trade control for clarity - And old habits for better systems. Which one of these shifts feels most relevant to you right now? --- ♻️ Share this to help inspire more modern leaders. And follow me George Stern for more leadership content.