Leadership Tip

How to manage a micromanager

Micromanagement is about lack of trust. The person who is micromanaging doesn’t believe anyone can do something as well as he or she can. Once you understand this, you’ll be better able to manage a micromanaging boss.

  • First, make sure you keep your commitments. If you tell your boss you’ll complete a task by a certain date and time, make sure you do so. If you can’t, alert your boss to this before the deadline approaches.
     
  • Next, have a conversation with your boss and remind him or her of your experience bringing projects to completion and ask what concerns, if any, he or she has regarding your ability to do your job. See if you can come to an agreement about how to best move forward. When dealing with micromanagers, it’s best to give choices so they feel in control.

The above leadership tip...
was sent in response to a question from a participant on our 10/10 leadership development and mentoring programme and adapted from Adapted from The Magnetic Leader by Roberta Chinsky Matuson. Whether you're a first time manager or an experienced leader, straightforward, practical advice on best practice is hard to find. Until now. To find out how you, your team or your organisation can benefit, please join us on our next complimentary webinar or contact us.

Subscribe

Free weekly email on things you didn't know last week with links to articles on leadership excellence. To view previous editions click here.


Unlock your potential

Whether face to face, or over the telephone, we can develop your leadership skills, support you in making important decisions, and help you reach your potential.

Read More

Leadership Articles

10 ways to build your team

Everyone would like to be part of a dream team - a group of people, each skilled in their own discipline, pulling together to achieve more than they ever could alone. Yet while most organisations talk about teamwork, they still tend to reward individual... read more

10 weekend habits of purposeful leaders

The most impactful leaders know that success doesn’t come from working around the clock - it comes from working with intention. And that includes how we spend our weekends. While weekdays often revolve around performance, the weekend is a chance to reset... read more

10 actions for effective communication

High-quality communication is an essential element in business and organisational performance. Effective communication relies on engaging with people, having a commitment to building strong and productive relationships and realising that we communicate... read more

Leadership Tips

How to become a more courageous leader

When uncertainty rises, many leaders slow down and wait for reassurance. That instinct is human, and often fatal to momentum. Leadership courage isn’t about bold gestures or loud certainty. It’s about taking responsibility when conditions are unclear and... read more

How to lead your attention

In a world designed to distract, attention has become a leadership skill in its own right. What you focus on shapes your decisions, your energy, and your impact. Leaders who fail to manage their attention don’t just lose time, they lose clarity,... read more

How to identify your core values

Those who know me know that values - particularly integrity - matter to me. Not as slogans, but as decision-making tools. When leadership gets difficult, and there’s no clear rulebook, your values are what guide your judgment and protect your... read more