As a business leader, you almost need a 6th sense to feel comfortable enough to step back from the business. 

But that can be impossible. And as things start to feel more out of control, the typical go-to is to try to take even more control. 

Hello micro-management!

The problem is that your team ends up feeling disempowered and you still have to juggle all the balls. 

Hello juggle street!

It creates an unhealthy and sometimes toxic environment (some go as far as saying micromanaging is a form of bullying). 

It devalues team members and shuts down creativity which can bring new (sometimes better) ways of doing things. 

It can negatively affect mental health and burnout rates and keeps the business leader tethered to the details. 

A survey conducted by Trinity solutions highlighted that 85% of people surveyed said morale was negatively impacted due to micro-management, 69% considered a job change and 36% changed jobs.

Eventually, your people will leave. 

Heck, you may end up resenting your business…  and worse case, having to walk away from (aka the death of) your business. 

We have to dig deeper to understand why it’s happening. 

There’s often a feeling of lack of control so the business leader starts to seek more control and holds on tighter. 

3 of the most common reasons people control and won’t let go:

• Perfectionism (no one can do it as well as me)
• Fear (of loss of control)
• Ego (what will I do if I don’t do this or wear the busy badge as a badge of importance)

The problem with all of these is that they give a false sense of safety and therefore keep the business leader stuck.

What can you do instead of holding on to a false sense of control? 

Focus on building the below 3 areas within the business. If you do this well, instead of constantly guessing, you will have the 6th sense (or ESP) you’re looking for and the confidence to empower your people:

1. Your culture… what Environment are you creating to empower and trust your team?
2. Op rhythms… consider the Structure and systems you have in place to support your people
3. Skills of the team… ensure consistent upskilling of your team, set your People up for success

Trust is one of the fundamental cornerstones of working relationships between leaders and their teams. Using this framework will directly help you build trust, quickly. 

Click here to watch a video taking you through ESP Business Leadership model in more detail and learn how you can use it to re-prioritise your many priorities.