Leader vs. Manager vs. Micromanager

There was a time in my life where I was a micromanager.

It was bad.

I would go so far as to instruct a team member the right way to pick up a pen. Ok, perhaps not that bad.

If you’ve ever been micromanaged, you know that not only is it irritating, but it also has a way of crushing your creativity and ambition. Why spend energy thinking of ideas and solutions if your boss is just going to come along and tell you exactly what to do—and how to do it, and when to do it, and what kind of pen to do it with?

I’m glad to say I’ve kicked the habit. Today, I tell team members the problem we’re having and ask them to find a solution. If they cannot, I ask them to try again. If they still need help, I’ll either step in and help them myself, or direct them to the right person. Usually, my team members do not need me to solve problems. They are exceptionally good at what they do. (Even Chloe, my Director of Barketing and Communications, who is a major league spoiled Yorkie and helps with company morale.)

I know now that being a micromanager is bad not only for the employees, but for the managers as well. It kills creativity. You can’t think big when you’re too busy instructing people on how to do their job.

Speaking of thinking big, here’s food for thought: Are you a manager or a leader? Which do you want to be?

Set aside your official job title for a moment and give an honest assessment. Because a lot of people think they are leaders, when what they really are is a manager.

What’s the difference? Leaders are visionaries who create long-term strategies. Managers execute day-to-day tactics to make those visions real.

If you want to be a leader, you’ll need to let a lot of things go. You need to give people freedom to come up with their own solutions and be okay with them making mistakes. You need to cast vision and inspire. If you are more cut out to be a manager, there’s nothing wrong with that. Not everyone can be a leader! But in that case, please—be a good manager, not a micromanager. Take it from me: micromanaging will tire out everyone, including yourself!