In their defense, they are often smart and experienced. They know a lot about what works and what doesn’t. But how much joy is it to always be told what to do? How demotivating is it to rarely use your own ideas or perform tasks the way you would like to do them?
Like it or not, how people are perceived, especially managers and executives in the workplace, has a significant impact on their leadership effectiveness.
If you are typically hands-off, for example using business plans to guide your organization and relying on financial reports to keep you informed, realize that you are not materially involved. You are not informed. There are issues in your organization you have little insight into.
But a lack of time and resource aren’t the primary reasons that many managers and parents find it difficult to empower others. The real reason is that they can’t let go.
Many organizations are wrestling with if, when, and how employees will work remotely going forward. Should they require everyone to return to work? Or should they offer a hybrid model where some people work remotely and some don’t?
