How did I become a micro-manager?

Yes, without noticing it, wanting or being able to admit to it, I developed to be a micromanager with my first managerial roles. Thankfully I had a mentor that pushed me to see my leadership path for what it was, ineffective.

Well, in order for me to be able to change my leadership style, delegate responsibilities, empower my employees to make their own decisions, grow and learn from their own missteps and successes, I first had to understand how I became a micromanager. I was very successful in my previous positions as line associate, always exceeded expectations, and a perfectionist with great sense for details. So what happened?

I didn’t change my power alley. I didn’t understand that I had to develop and that what got me into the position of a manager wasn’t automatically going to make me an effective leader as well.

I didn’t want to accept that I had to change. Now I understand that everyone needs to make this change at one point, and many never make the jump from (micro-)manager to leader.

Most micro-managers were very successful at one point in their career, and never developed their power alley, never took the risks of making the jump.

Starting to delegate responsibilities and empower employees to make their own decisions (and not asking at every single step of the way for approval) isn’t easy as it comes with accepting and supporting the missteps of your employees along the way. But it will make your team more effective, and enable it to go beyond.

As a leader your job is to empower your team to be successful by proving the necessary tools and setting the right framework.

So how can you make the jump from micro-manger to leader?

1. Set clear expectations, provide the right tools and information, and then back off
2. Set the right framework of what’s ok, and what’s not
3. Allow mistakes to happen and be patient
4. Accept that the process will not be identical to the one you would apply
5. Provide feedback, but encourage and push your employees to think for themselves
6. Focus on the development of your employees
7. Don’t make it about yourself, but about your employees and your company, you need to have the right motives!

Take the risks and make the jump!