Aware of Your Management Style?
Cathie Leimbach • July 8, 2020
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A former staff recruiter for small family businesses described the paradox of business owners’ management practices well.
Hands-on business owners often micromanage their staff. Multiple times each day they give very specific directions to their employees about their next task, even once they are experienced and competent with their regular work. The owner makes all the decisions without discussing with staff so they aren't equipped to work independently.
However, when the small business owner goes on vacation, he announces his travel plans to his staff a couple of days before he leaves. He shares no special information with his staff. He seems to believe they have been working for him long enough that they know how to run the business.
But then, when the owner returns to work, he is frustrated that the employees didn’t handle day-to-day irregularities the way he would have. And, of course, now that he is back on the job, they are receiving detailed instructions for routine work.
If you can trust your employees to keep the business going while you are away, is it really a good use of your time, or motivating for them, when you micromanage them?
If you don’t involve your employees in discussions about workplace situations that arise from time to time, how can you expect them to make decisions that align with your preferences?
Does your management style assume that staff aren’t competent to complete their regular work without daily instructions? Or, do you expect that they will magically have strong problem-solving skills when you aren’t there? Maybe you can relate with both scenarios.
What can you do to show that you trust your competent employees and equip them to handle unexpected situations?
When you adjust your management style, you will have more time to manage the business and they will have increased job satisfaction, resulting in higher productivity. And then, you will reap a stronger bottom line.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a respected professor at Harvard Business School, has spent her career connecting the dots between leadership and economic innovation. Her work shows that developing strong leaders doesn’t just benefit companies—it creates ripple effects that boost entire communities and economies. Effective leaders encourage teamwork, spark innovation, and help their organizations adapt to change. That kind of forward-thinking leadership attracts investment, drives productivity, and supports long-term growth. Kanter believes leadership isn’t a soft skill—it’s a strategic asset. She famously said, “Strategic leadership is an economic resource,” reminding us that developing talent is more than an HR initiative—it’s an engine for prosperity. But good leaders aren’t born overnight. Building strong leadership takes training, mentorship, and a commitment to continuous learning. And when businesses and governments make that investment, the rewards show up as better jobs, stronger institutions, and thriving local economies. Kanter’s research is clear: the path to economic progress starts with leadership development. If we want innovation and growth, we need people equipped to lead with vision and impact. 👉 Want to explore this connection further? Check out: How Good Leadership Helps Innovation and Growth
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