You’re Not That Good (or Important)

You heard me: you’re not that good, and you’re not that important. Go on, get over yourself. Yes, I’m talking to you. You—the person who feels the need to control and hold on to things. You—the person who has a hard time delegating and handing off because you’re positive that you can do it better, faster and more accurately than anyone else. You—the person who is unwilling to allow people’s ideas to be tried because you always have a slightly better or different idea. You—the person who is known as the micromanager in your organization or on your team. Yes, you, and you’re not that good or that important.

Yes, you might be better at many things than other people, and perhaps you’re even the best or fastest. Yes, your ideas might be better than other people’s ideas and maybe even the best ideas. Yes, when you stay in control of everything it minimizes some of the risks of failure and gives you the comfort of knowing that things are done right and on time. Yes, yes and yes, BUT that’s not what leaders do.

When you hold on, control and insist on your ideas, there is a staggering impact on your team members, and it’s not positive. Let’s look at just a short list of the effects of control and micromanagement:

• Your team doesn’t get better (or become as good as you).
• Your team doesn’t learn and grow.
• Your team doesn’t feel trusted and doesn’t trust you.
• Your team doubts itself.
• Your team decides that it’s easier to let you do it and stops trying.
• Your team stops coming up with their own ideas and solutions (after all, you have it handled).
• Your team gets stuck.
• Your organization stagnates and may even fall back.

Are you getting the picture and the message?

I must admit that there is one “positive” impact from your ongoing control and micromanagement – you may remain the most important and indispensable person on the team. But, of course, that’s at the expense of the team, the organization and your objectives. Just saying!

So you decide. Will you keep trying to be the most important person in the organization and on the team, or will you instead empower and grow your team by letting go, trusting and supporting their growth and development? In case you wonder or forget, you’re not that good or that important.