Micromanaging Doesn’t Make You a Bad Person—But It Does Make You a Bad Leader

Micromanaging is often misunderstood. On the surface, it appears as control and perfectionism. But at its core, it's driven by fear—fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, and a lack of self-awareness, self-confidence, and belief in others. More importantly, it shows a misunderstanding of what real leadership looks like.

In my experience, micromanagement is usually a sign that a leader has reached their limit of capability and doesn't know how to move forward.

But here’s the truth: micromanagement doesn’t just hurt your team; it hurts you too. It creates a toxic cycle of fear and stress. And when fear and stress take over, productivity, problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration all grind to a halt. Worse still, it erodes your team's mental and emotional well-being.

Ultimately, micromanagement is a drain on everyone. For your team, it stifles growth, and for you, it becomes a stressful, inefficient, and ineffective way to lead.

So how do you know if you’re falling into the micromanagement trap?

Here are 10 tell-tale signs:

• You find yourself constantly making decisions for others.
• You give overly detailed instructions or sometimes not enough.
• You change or finish a team member's work rather than provide feedback.
• You spend too much time watching over or checking in on your team members.
• You’re hesitant to delegate and take on too much yourself.
• You feel the need to have the final say on everything.
• You rarely ask for input, ideas, or feedback.
• You struggle to provide a clear vision for your team.
• You communicate minimally about broader business updates.
• You think, “No one can do this as well as I can, so I may as well do it myself.”

Do any of these resonate with you?

Remember, micromanaging doesn’t make you a bad person—but it does make you a less effective leader. Great leadership requires self-awareness and the ability to create environments where minds can thrive.

If you want to grow into a leader with a long and prosperous career, now is the time to start coaching yourself—and your team.

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