Micro management, Is it a Leadership Flaw or a Hidden Strength?
A conversation this week left me very pignant. It was about 'micro management', a word that I belive carries a weight of frustration for many of us. You may agree that most professionals see it as a flaw, a sign of insecurity, or even a leadership failure. And yet, I found myself reflecting on my own experience during this conversation. I reflected on how, in certain situations, I actually welcome some micro management.
That might sound odd coming from someone who values autonomy, coaching and agile methodology, but bear with me. There’s more to this than meets the eye.
The Micromanagement Stigma
Let’s be honest... when you or I hear the word 'micro management', it rarely comes with positive conotation. It’s the 'boss who hovers', the 'leader who doesn’t trust their team', the 'manager who insists on reviewing every tiny detail'.
Research backs this up:
59% of employees say they have been micromanaged at some point in their careers (Gallup, 2023).
68% say it negatively impacted their morale and job satisfaction (Gallup, 2023).
Employees who feel micromanaged take up to 30% longer to complete tasks due to over analysis and unnecessary revisions (Cummings & Worley, 2019).
As I read psychology, micromanagement for me is often a symptom of deeper issues. Insecurity plays a big role. Leaders who lack confidence in their own abilities or their team’s competence tend to micro manage more.
Another common culprit is the incidental manager. This is someone who has been promoted due to technical / skill expertise rather than leadership ability (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2013).
But here’s the twist... not everyone finds micro management smothering.
Why Some of Us Actually Welcome Micromanagement
For most neurotypical professionals, micro management is frustrating. It signals a lack of trust, creates a dependency culture, and ultimately makes people feel less capable.
Research by Deci & Ryan (1985) on' Self Determination Theory' highlights that autonomy is one of the core psychological needs in the workplace.
(Autonomy is the capacity to make independent decisions, or to be self governing.)
However, for some neurodiverse professionals, including those with ADHD, ASD or executive function challenges, micro management can actually be a source of structure and clarity.
For me personally, my ADHD mindset thrives when I have no more than two clear projects running simultaneously. I work best when my workload is visually manageable, like a Kanban board where tasks are moved through a clear process. Anything more than two projects, and my quality drops significantly.
Interestingly, I haven’t always noticed micro management when it happens to me. Other colleagues have pointed it out with concern in previous employments, but if it's done with the right intentions, I actually find it helpful. When it provides clarity and structure rather than control, I see it as support rather than restriction.
This made me question: Is micromanagement always bad? Or does it depend on how and why it’s done?
Micromanagement Through the Lens of the DISA Model
As someone deeply interested in behavioural models, I looked at this through the DISA Behavioural Model. Each behavioural colour reacts differently to micro management:
Typically....
Red (Dominant) – Resists micro management. Prefers autonomy and control.
Yellow (Influencial) – Finds it restrictive. Prefers flexibility and freedom.
Green (Steadfast) – Tolerates it if supportive. Prefers structure without excessive oversight.
Blue (Analytical) – Finds it helpful when logical. Prefers structured feedback over arbitrary control.
Given my Yellow-Red tendencies, I naturally dislike micro management, but I also appreciate clear structure. It’s a delicate balance;
too much oversight kills creativity, but the right level of structure keeps me focused.
A Leadership Balancing Act: The NDCS Chapter Experience
NOTE- we use the term Chapter when talking about our collective. i.e. Chapter rather than departmet etc.
Here’s where my perspective shifted. At the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), where I now work as an L&D Partner, I have never experienced as much autonomy as I have within our 'Chapter' structure. The L&D members are individually amazing. The NDCS is an agile organisation, and in just two years, they have embedded agile methodology effectively and continue to improve at all levels..
For me, this means:
✅ High Trust leadership – Members (staff) are empowered rather than controlled.
✅ Self organising teams – Workflows are collaborative rather than dictated.
✅ Outcome driven, not process driven – The focus is on outcomes, not micro managing steps.
It has been a refreshing shift from my previous professional service environment where micro management often became the default. NDCS has shown me that structured autonomy, where people have clear goals but the freedom to achieve them in their own way is a far more effective leadership model.
So, Is Micromanagement Always a Bad Thing?
After all this reflection, I’d say: it depends!
Bad micro management is about control, insecurity, and lack of trust.
Good micromanagement is about clarity, accountability and support.
The best leaders understand that different people need different levels of guidance. Some thrive on autonomy; others (like myself in certain contexts) benefit from clear structure.
What This Means for Leaders
If you’re a leader, ask yourself:
✅ Are you micromanaging because you don’t trust your team?
If so, the issue might be your leadership, not their ability.
✅ Are you providing enough structure for those who need it?
Some employees actually do better with more direction, not less.
✅ Are you empowering your team while offering support?
True leadership is about enabling success, not controlling every step.
Final Thought: Micromanagement as a Spectrum
Micro management isn’t inherently bad or good, it’s about how and why it’s applied.
For me, the takeaway is clear:
- I dislike micro management when it’s about control.
- I welcome some micro management when it’s about clarity and structure.
- If leaders can recognise when to step in and when to step back, they’ll build teams that thrive on both trust and accountability.
So, what’s your experience? Do you find micromanagement suffocating, or do you thrive under structured oversight? Let’s start the conversation.
References
Anderson, D. (2010) Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business. Blue Hole Press.
Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2017) ‘The dark side of management: The dangers of micromanaging’, Harvard Business Review.
Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G. (2019) Organization Development and Change. 11th edn. Cengage Learning.
Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. (1985) Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.
Gallo, A. (2019) ‘How to Stop Micromanaging Your Team’, Harvard Business Review.
Gallup (2023) State of the Global Workplace Report.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. and McKee, A. (2013) Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. Harvard Business Press.
Hogan, R. and Kaiser, R.B. (2005) ‘What we know about leadership’, Review of General Psychology, 9(2), pp. 169-180.