Micromanagement. Just the word can make your shoulders tense up. And I get it because I’ve been there. I’ve worked with micromanagers, and I’ve also caught myself micromanaging when stress was high or the stakes felt too great to let go. But here’s what I’ve learned after years of leading teams, building businesses, and making mistakes: control is not the same as leadership. And if you’ve ever asked yourself how to deal with a micromanager, I want to offer more than tactics I want to offer perspective.
Because at its core, leadership is not about guarding every detail. It’s about building trust, enabling others, and having the humility to get out of the way when it’s time.
How to Deal with Micromanager Behavior Professionally
Let’s start here: how to deal with a micromanager in a way that keeps your dignity and your momentum.
When you work with someone who constantly checks your work, asks for updates before you’ve had time to breathe, or struggles to let go of small decisions, it’s easy to feel frustrated or even resentful. But what I’ve found to be most effective isn’t pushing back in defensiveness. It’s leaning in with empathy.
Ask yourself: What might be driving this behavior? Is your manager under intense pressure from above? Are they newer in their role and trying to prove themselves? Do they fear failure in a way they haven’t named yet?
When I’ve managed up in these scenarios, the shift began with subtle but steady actions:
- Be proactive with communication. Don’t wait for the “check-in.” Beat them to it with a clear update.
- Show reliability. Hit your deadlines consistently even if they’re unspoken.
- Ask thoughtful questions. Invite collaboration rather than hiding from it. This signals maturity and confidence.
You don’t need to fix your boss. But you can influence the tone of your working relationship. Micromanagement thrives in ambiguity. Clarity helps starve it.
What It Means to Work with a Micromanaging Boss
I want to speak plainly here. Working under a micromanaging boss is not easy even when you’re a high performer. Especially when you’re a high performer.
Over the years, I’ve watched talented people lose their spark under leaders who couldn’t let go. And I’ve watched those same leaders burn out trying to carry everything themselves.
When you find yourself in that dynamic, it’s easy to feel powerless. But leadership isn’t tied to title it’s tied to how you choose to show up.
Here are a few moves that have helped me navigate those relationships:
- Shift the conversation to outcomes. If your boss is focused on how you do things, redirect the conversation to what you’re delivering.
- Clarify your working style. Sometimes micromanagers are reacting to past experiences. Share how you operate best.
- Lead up with calm confidence. People often stop micromanaging when they feel reassured not when they’re told to stop.
And if you’re reading this and you are the micromanager, trust me, I’ve been in your shoes too. I’ve written before about how perfectionism is the enemy of progress. When I’ve held things too tightly, it wasn’t because I didn’t trust my team it was because I was afraid of the fallout.
But here’s the reality: your people can’t grow if you never let them stretch.
A Leadership Reflection: Grace Over Control
Micromanagement is rarely about incompetence. It’s about fear.
Fear of being blindsided. Fear of failing. Fear that something might slip through the cracks.
But the more I’ve led, the more I’ve come to believe this: great leadership isn’t about getting everything right it’s about creating the conditions where others can do their best work.
That means loosening your grip. Practicing trust like a muscle. Making peace with the idea that your way isn’t the only way.
And I’ll say this with conviction when you lead with grace instead of control, people rise. They take ownership. They surprise you.
I talk about this more in my book, Leadership Orbit, because I’ve lived the tension between pressure and empowerment. The best teams I’ve ever built weren’t the ones where I managed everything they were the ones where I empowered the right people and got out of their way.
If this resonates with you whether you're on the giving or receiving end of micromanagement I encourage you to pause, observe, and lead with patience. We all grow better when we lead with grace.
And if you want to dive deeper into this journey of growth, I had an incredible conversation on the Perpetual Growth Podcast about how we lead, invest, and build teams that thrive without the need to control every piece. It's a conversation I hope brings clarity to your own leadership path.
