It’s a Fine Line Between Managing and Micromanaging
About a decade ago, I watched The Intern and remember thinking one thing: The main character was not exactly a shining example of leadership.
Jules, played by Anne Hathaway, is smart, driven, passionate, and deeply committed to the company she built. She also nitpicks almost everything. She notices the messy desk. She notices the way something is packed. She notices details most people would miss, including several details they probably wish she had missed.
So, I watched the movie again recently to see if I had been too hard on her.
I had not.
To be fair, Jules is not trying to be difficult. She cares deeply about the business. She wants things done well. She has high standards. Those are good qualities in a leader. But the movie also shows how easily high standards can slide into hovering, correcting, second-guessing, and making people feel like they should form a committee to move a stapler.
It reminded me of a line from This Is Spinal Tap: “It’s a fine line between clever and stupid.”
We use that phrase in our household all the time, mostly because it applies to far more situations than it probably should. There is also a fine line between managing and micromanaging. You cannot always point to the exact moment when helpful guidance turns into control, but you know the line exists. And as a leader, you have to stay alert so you do not drift to the wrong side of it.
Micromanagement stifles creativity and trust. It teaches people to wait for direction instead of taking ownership. It also exhausts the leader, who becomes the official approver, fixer, checker, and finder of every crooked paperclip.
The best leaders motivate by setting clear expectations and giving people room to succeed. Here’s how:
Clarify goals and timelines. Make sure everyone knows the outcome and the deadline.
Provide autonomy. Let people determine how they will achieve the result. Their way may not be your way, and that is not automatically a problem.
Check in, not up. Offer support, remove obstacles, and ask questions without taking control of the work. I cannot emphasize this enough. You cannot just give someone a project and say, “Have at it.”
Where can you step back and let someone else lead?