Empowering Leaders do not Micro-manage

A few months ago during a training session for church staff members, an assistant pastor was complaining that his boss, the lead pastor, was a micro-manager.  My response to the staff person was not what they wanted to hear. The other trainer sensed their frustration and affirmed their feelings and stated that leaders should allow their staff members enough freedom and latitude to "do their job". The assistant pastor left the meeting with their feelings toward their pastor legitimized. 

It is true that leaders should allow their subordinates the freedom to accomplish things on their own providing they are in line with the organizations goals. However, this assumes that the subordinated is competent and does not have motives that undermine the organization's mission.

Micro-managing leadership can also be called directing. Directing is a legitimate leadership technique depending upon the skill of the employee and the difficulty of the task.  Four leadership styles have been identified: Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating. Two things determine which leadership style is the best: (1) the skill of the employee and (2) the difficulty of the task. These four styles can be thought of as points on a continuum with total control by the leader at one end and the total freedom of the employee at the other end. Each method of leadership is legitimate depending upon the skill and experience of the employee and the difficulty of the task. A less skilled employee will require more hands-on directive leadership, whereas the more skilled employee can be trusted to do the task with little or no supervision. The second determiner is the difficulty of the task. It is obvious that designing an organization's network is more difficult than picking up trash in the parking lot. Employee skill is not the only determiner, the leader must consider the two determinates together.

Four leadership styles:

Directing is when a leader gives instructions about what and how goals are to be achieved by the subordinates and then supervises them carefully.

Coaching is where the leader involve himself with subordinates by giving encouragement and soliciting subordinate input. However, coaching still requires that the leader make the final decision on the what and how of goal accomplishment.

Supporting is where the leader does not focus exclusively on goals but uses supportive behaviors that bring out the employees' skills around the task to be accomplished. The supportive style includes listening, praising, asking for input, and giving feedback. A leader using this style gives subordinates control of day-to-day decisions but remains available to facilitate problem solving. The leader is quick to give recognition and social support to subordinates.

Delegating is when the leader offers less task input and social support while facilitating employees' confidence and motivation in reference to the task. The delegative leader lessens his involvement in planning, control of details, and goal clarification. After the group agrees on what they are to do, this style lets subordinates take responsibility for getting the job done the way they see fit. A leader gives control to subordinates and refrains from intervening with unnecessary social support.

It is important for the leader to understand the nuances of this leadership matrix. I have made the mistake of assuming that employees could be effective with little or no support. The result was ineffective tasks. Lack of confidence in the employee by the leader and a decrease in feelings of self-efficacy in the employee can result. On the other hand, the tendency to micro-manage comes from the leader unable or unwilling to trust their employees with organizational tasks.