Micromanaging means one thing

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Micromanagement isn’t strategy— It’s fear in disguise.

Micromanagement tells your team one thing:

"I don't trust you."

Leaders don’t micromanage because they want control—they do it because they fear failure.

But micromanagement doesn’t prevent failure. It creates it.

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Micromanagement creates effort.

Trust creates energy.

One wears people down.

The other brings people back to life.

If you're losing people, start with how you're leading.

Today we are going to help leaders master this by using:

‘Stop Micromanaging, Start Trusting'. 

Let’s dive in!

4 Real-World Moves to Stop Micromanaging

1. “What do you think we should do?”

Scenario: Your team member brings you a problem and expects you to solve it.

• Old habit:

  • You jump in and give the answer.

• New action:

  • Pause and say:

    • “You’ve been closer to this than I have. What’s your gut telling you?”

• It shows trust and starts training them to think instead of always ask.

• Even if their answer isn’t perfect, build on it instead of correcting them.

• That’s how growth starts.

2. Let silence do the heavy lifting

Scenario: You ask for ideas in a meeting, and no one speaks up. You start filling in the space.

• Old habit:

  • You talk to fill the silence.

• New action:

  • Don’t be afraid of silence. Wait a full 60 seconds after asking a question.

• Say this:

  • “I’ll give it a minute. I know you’ve got thoughts—I’m just here to listen for now.”

• Leaders who always fill the space train their team not to think.

• Silence shows you actually want their input.

3. Build a ‘You Decide’ List

Scenario: You feel overwhelmed with small decisions (Slack messages, approvals, check-ins).

• New action:

  • Make a list of 5 things you no longer need to approve.

• Tell your team:

  • “From now on, you don’t need to check with me on these. Just make the call and let me know after.”

• You're creating safe zones for decision-making.

• It’s fast trust-building.

• The fastest way to scale is to stop being the bottleneck.

4. Post-Mistake? Say This

Scenario: A team member messes up something you would have handled differently.

• Old habit:

  • You get frustrated and correct it.

• New action:

  • Use this exact phrase:

    • “I want to understand how you developed this. Let’s walk through it together.”

• It reinforces action-taking, not perfection.

• You’re training initiative, not obedience.

• Most teams don’t need more control—they need more safe space to learn.

You want to build your own dream, but not sure what to do.

The truth is, most people stay stuck in the job they’ve outgrown— not because they want to, but because they don’t know the next small step to take.

The 4 R Game Plan inside this week’s infographic gives you that path.

Here’s how to use it in real life—while still working your 9‑5.

1. You’re stuck in meeting after meeting and never have time for your own ideas

→ Block 60 minutes on your calendar for lunch and protect it.
→ Let your team know you’ll be unavailable during that time, just like a real meeting.
→ That’s your Reduce move—cutting the noise to reclaim your mind.

2. You want to create something, but your brain is fried after work

→ Use your lunch break at least once a week for your idea.
→ Invite a friend or coworker to do the same.
→ That’s your Rise move—taking one simple action that builds momentum.

3. You keep thinking about your skills, but never turn them into anything real

→ Find one thing you’ve helped others with—then say:
“I’m turning this into a small digital product. No pressure, just a start.”
→ That’s your Replace move—making your skills work for you.

See the full blog and download the free PDF guide. [Click here]

Want to learn more?

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📖 The Dual Life: Navigating a Full-Time Job and a Side Hustle
If you’re building something while still clocking in, this blog shows how to make it work.

Here's how you can make it real today:

Step 1: Pick your focus

• Choose one of the real-life anti-micromanagement habits—like asking “What do you think?”, using silence in meetings, creating a “you decide” list, or what to say after a mistake.

• Pick the one that feels most real or urgent for you today.

Step 2: Set a reminder

• Before work begins, set a timer or calendar alert for a quiet moment—late morning or mid-afternoon.

• This will be your leadership reset point.

Step 3: Do one small action when it goes off

• Ask a team member their opinion before offering yours

• Let 10 seconds of silence pass in a meeting before jumping in

• Send a message that says:

  • “You decide on this one—I trust your call”

• After a misstep, say:

  • “I’m proud you made the call—let’s talk it through together”

Step 4: Rate your leadership moment afterward

• After your action, give yourself a quick score out of 10

• How in control did you feel?

• How trusting?

• How did the moment go?

Step 5: Reflect for 1 minute before the day ends

• Ask yourself:

  • Did that action move me closer to being less hands-on?

  • What was hard?

  • What did my team do without me stepping in?

AI Prompt: “Act as a leadership coach. Help me lead with trust instead of control today.

• Focus: [Insert one — “Ask their opinion,” “Pause in meetings,” “Let them decide,” or “Respond well after a mistake”]

• Person: [Insert name or role, e.g., “my team lead,” “a junior teammate”]

• Moment: [Insert when this might happen, e.g., “team meeting,” “Slack message,” “after a task goes wrong”]

Give me:

• A short phrase to open the conversation

• A few things to say that build trust instead of taking over

• One phrase to end with that shows support

• A quick tip to help me stay calm and patient

Use natural, everyday language that feels real.”

Letting go of control doesn’t make you a weaker leader.

It makes room for your team to grow stronger without you holding the weight.

When you stop doing everything, you give others a chance to do more.

Some will mess up. Some will rise higher than you imagined.

You can’t lead growth and expect perfection.

Let go—and watch what happens next.

Until next time and with lots of love,

Justin

This Week’s Growth Recommendations

Book To Read:  

“The Fearless Organization” by Amy C. Edmondson (see it here)

TED Talk to Watch:

“Confessions of a Recovering Micromanager" by Chieh Huang (see it here)

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