How to stop micromanaging (without losing control)

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Before we dive in…

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Now back to the topic at hand

How to stop micromanaging (without losing control)

When I ask managers what they feel weakest in in regards to their leadership role, “micromanaging” comes up every time. Never because they’re controlling or power-hungry, but because they care.

Every manager I’ve ever coached who struggles with micromanagement has the same fear running underneath it:

“If I step back, things will fall apart.”

I get it. When I was managing five teams at a FTSE100 corporate that fear completely ran the show for a while.

I kept telling myself I was just being thorough. That it was my job to double-check everything to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks. But if I’m being honest, I never trusted myself to let go.

I’d rewrite emails and pitch decks, sit in meetings that didn’t need me there, and step in the moment I saw something wobble. I thought this kept me safe, because I believed that If I was across everything, then nothing could go wrong… Surely??

Except that it did (just in a quieter way). The team stopped taking initiative because they knew I’d always step in anyway and I thought I was the only one who actually cared.

But at some point along the painful journey, I realised micromanaging was never about them about them or how good they were at their job. It was always about me, and my fear of letting go. So before I show you the steps to overcome it, let’s dissect why micromanagement happens in the first place.

Why micromanagement happens

As much as your nervous system wants to to believe it.. Micromanagement isn’t a character flaw. It’s a system flaw.

It shows up when:

• Expectations aren’t clear

• Accountability isn’t embedded

• Feedback feels unsafe

• Or a managers standards aren’t being met

When these things are happening, you become the safety net for every missed detail.

I once worked with a creative agency where every client presentation had to be approved by the Managing Director. It started as “quality control.” but turned into gridlock. By the time I came in to work with the leadership team, projects were delayed, team morale was low, and the MD was exhausted.

After some research and digging, we restructured their workflow to focus on trust by design:

• Each project lead ran their own client check-ins without the MD present.
  At first it felt uncomfortable, but within two weeks, the team realised they could handle the conversations themselves. Confidence grew fast once they stopped waiting for approval.

• Every Monday, they had a 20-minute “Decision Review” where big calls were reviewed, not pre-approved.
  It kept visibility high without slowing momentum, so the MD stayed informed but no longer had to gatekeep progress.

• Feedback loops were formalised, so coaching replaced correction.
  Instead of the MD jumping in to fix mistakes, the focus shifted to regular 1on1s with consistent feedback, guiding people through how to improve next time.

It’s rare I can measure our output, but the MD fed back to me that within 8 weeks, he was out of the weeds and the team’s delivery speed increased by 30% 🚀🚀

How to leave micromanaging in 2025

You can only hope to fix micromanagement by building clarity and confidence in your systems. So here’s where I would start if I was putting an end to my micromanagement all over again:

1. Stop checking work reactively (be proactive instead)
Most managers review the output. The slide deck, the report, the final version. But by that point, it’s too late to coach.
Instead, set up one rhythm where you review progress weekly.
For example, once when we were in the middle of a hectic project, I introduced a 15-minute Friday “progress pulse” where each team member shared what had moved forward that week and what might block them next. It kept everyone aligned without me hovering over the details throughout the week.

2. Make expectations public
Half the reason managers feel the need to check everything, is because only they know what “good” looks like.
So swtich this around, we need to put role clarity, KPIs, and project ownership somewhere visible, a shared dashboard, Notion page, or team wall if you’re in-office. When the team knows exactly who owns what and what success looks like.
It turns “Just checking you did this?” into “What’s the latest on your piece?”, a small shift that changes everything.

3. Replace control with consequence.
If a task isn’t delivered, don’t rush in to fix it. Address it through accountability instead.
That usually means asking, “What stopped this from getting done?” or “What needs to change next time?” rather than quietly taking it back yourself.

Because every time you step in and rescue the situation, you teach the team that deadlines don’t really matter. And that’s how standards start to slip, not in big dramatic ways, but through small moments where you absorbed the consequence instead of them.

Final thoughts

As you look ahead to 2025, try asking yourself one simple question:

“If I left the team for two weeks, would they still perform?”

If the answer’s no, that needs to be your 2026 aim.

Start with the 3 steps above, then if you notice that urge to control creeping back in, pause and ask yourself why. Sometimes it’s not about fear or habit, it’s because deep down you’re thinking, “They won’t do it well enough.” And sometimes, that’s true.
But if it is, that’s not a reason to hover, it’s a reason to dig deeper. It’s a performance issue not a micromanagement opportunity.

If someone’s work consistently misses the mark, it’s not your job to quietly fix it every time. It’s your job to get curious about why.
Do they actually understand what “good” looks like?
Do they have the skills but not the confidence?
Or is it a pattern that needs a performance conversation, not another round of hand-holding?

Because micromanaging it into shape might feel faster in the moment, but all it really does is hide the problem (and guarantee you’ll be back in the same spot next week).

You got this,

H

P.S. If this topic hit home and you’re ready to lead with more authority, join me next week for my live online masterclass: How to Gain Authority (Without Apology). We’ll dive deeper into the exact 4-step process I teach to help managers earn respect through clarity, courage, and kindness.

🎟️ Grab your ticket here, and don’t forget to use code ITMDISC20 for your In The Making reader discount.