9 Brutal Signs
You’re A
Micromanager
(And Why Top Talent Quiet Quits on You)
I QUIT!!!
Daniel Hartweg
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1. You Can't Delegate
(Even a Coffee Run)
Your team’s motto: "Why try? The BOSS will
just redo it anyway."
How you’re crushing morale:
Projects bottleneck at your desk
You "just fix" work instead of coaching
Employees wait for your approval on minor
decisions
💀 The Damage: 68% of employees say
micromanagement makes them want to quit
(Gallup).
✅ Change: Set 3 clear criteria for success, then
walk away.
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
2. Your 1:1s Feel Like
Interrogations
Did you email Chris at 10:15 or 10:17?" isn’t
leadership—it’s paranoia.
Your toxic habits:
Asking for hourly updates
Requiring screenshots as "proof"
Tracking read receipts/online status
💀 The result: Your A-players are already
interviewing elsewhere.
✅ Change: Switch to outcome-based check-ins
(weekly, not daily).
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
3. Your Team Has Zero
Autonomy
If your employees need a permission slip to
breathe, you’re the problem.
Control-freak flags:
Banning creative solutions
No budget/spending discretion
Requiring 17 drafts of simple emails
💀 The cost: Innovation drops by 41% under
micromanagers (Harvard study).
✅ Change: Let them fail (gasp!) on low-stakes
projects.
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4. You Hoard Information
Like a Dragon
"Knowledge is power" is your mantra—
and your dysfunction.
How you sabotage success:
Creating dependency
Gatekeeping client contacts
Withholding strategic context
💀 The irony: You complain about "having to do
everything."
✅ Change: Build a shared knowledge base. Then
use it.
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
5. Your Feedback Is
Nitpicking, Not Coaching
The logo should be 2px left" isn’t leadership—
it’s obsessive-compulsive.
Your destructive patterns:
Fixating on fonts over strategy
Rewriting instead of guiding
Ignoring 95% of good work
💀 The toll: 54% of employees say micromanagers
kill their motivation (LinkedIn).
✅ Change: Practice the 5:1 rule (5 praises per
critique).
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
6. You're Addicted to
'Quick Checks'
Your "5-minute sync" is a lie. Everyone knows
it’s a 90-minute hostage situation.
Your time-wasting tells:
Last-minute "urgent" revisions
RewritingCC’ing yourself on every email
Scheduling "just to touch base"
💀 The fallout: Teams waste 4.5 hrs/week appeasing
your anxiety (Asana).
✅ Change: Block "no-meeting" days (enforced by
your EA).
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
7. Your Calendar Is Their
Calendar
If your team schedules bathroom breaks
around your availability, you’re toxic.
Your control issues:
Booking over PTO/PTO
Expecting 24/7 availability
Demanding same-day responses
💀 The exodus: Top performers leave first. The
compliant stay and resent you.
✅ Change: Adopt SLAs (e.g., "48-hr response time
OK").
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8. You Mistake Control
for Quality
Spoiler: Your way isn’t the "right way"—it’s
just your way.
Your rigidity tells:
Rejecting all new tools/processes
Valuing uniformity over results
"We’ve always done it this way"
💀 The reality: Your competitors are outpacing
you.
✅ Change: Run a "Process Amnesty" month (try
THEIR methods).
Daniel Hartweg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
9. Your Team Lies to You
If they’re hiding work to avoid your "input,"
you’re the villain.
Proof you’ve broken trust:
Hearing "No issues!" before disasters
Finding out about wins after the fact
Getting last-minute "final" drafts
💀 The truth: Psychological safety is zero.
✅ Change: Publicly apologize. Then actually step
back.
Daniel Hartweg
HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS
Looking to transform your Team
into a High-Performing Unit?
Contact me to discuss how I can support
your team's growth and success.
Daniel Hartweg
Daniel.Hartweg@themindsetchallenger.com
www.themindsetchallenger.com
