Business leaders should take a step back and embrace diversity of thought in employees to unlock their full potential, says leadership expert.
If your employees don’t function well when their managers are absent, then your leaders are being “irresponsible” and are subsequently putting your entire organisation at risk.
So said leadership expert and business consultant Glenn Llopis, who advised that a micro-managed workforce rarely thrives.
“If your employees can’t survive without you, you are being irresponsible to your employees and putting the organisation you serve at risk,” he told Forbes magazine.
“You can never discover your employees’ full potential without knowing how they naturally think, act and perform – and without always requiring your opinion and/or approval.”
Those who have trouble delegating are usually fearful that by relinquishing control, they may achieve lesser outcomes, but Llopis said that is a necessary byproduct of effective leadership.
“Failure is not fatal, but rather a platform for growth and development,” he said.
“If you encourage your employees to share their points of view, their ideas and ideals – and to not fear the consequences or that they are being disruptive – [you will] enable them to stretch and think differently by embracing their diversity of thought.”
This was a lesson that Llopis said he personally learnt in his very first job, when he was managed by a purposefully hands-off leader.
“The ability to think independently gave me the confidence to lead, to take calculated risks and to make better decisions,” Llopis added.