Why Self-Management Fails (And What Leaders Get Wrong)
- marionriehemann
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
Why so many self-management efforts fail? It’s not because employees aren’t ready. It’s not because the company isn’t “mature” enough. It’s because leaders don’t realize they are the problem.
In my last two newsletters, I explored Heroic Leadership addiction and the Trap of ‘smartest person in the room’ leadership.
Now, let’s talk about why so many self-management efforts fail.
What Most Leaders Get Wrong About Self-Management
Many leaders think:
“I want my team to take more ownership.”
“I want more decentralized decision-making.”
“I don’t want to be the bottleneck.”
But when it comes to practice, they:
❌ Hold onto control in subtle ways.
❌ Keep making final calls.
❌ Expect employees to behave like mini-CEOs overnight.
The result? Self-management turns into a mess. Instead of true ownership, you get confusion, hidden power struggles, and passive disengagement.
The real issue?
Power Can’t Be ‘Delegated’—It Has to Be Given Away
If you want a self-managed team, you can’t just tell people: “Take ownership!”
You have to create structures, rhythms, and agreements that allow people to truly own decisions—without waiting for permission or approval.
This means:
✅ Clarifying decision rights – Who decides what, and how?
✅ Building feedback loops – How do we course-correct together?
✅ Normalizing discomfort – Self-management is messy at first. That’s the process.
Real-World Example: Letting Go of Control in Practice
Recently, I worked with a leadership team struggling to step back. They had set the intention to empower their teams but kept jumping in to “help” whenever things got unclear.
We ran an experiment:
They identified a key decision they usually made themselves.
They handed over full ownership to a team—including defining the process.
They committed to staying out of it, no matter how uncomfortable it felt.
At first? Chaos.
Then? Something shifted.
The team stepped up. They debated, aligned, made the call, and owned the outcome.
Try This: Your ‘Let Go’ Experiment
Pick one decision that you normally make.
Hand it over to your team (fully).
Set clear boundaries (if needed).
Resist the urge to intervene.
Let them own both the process and the outcome.
Then ask yourself:
Where else am I still unconsciously holding onto control?
If you’re serious about transitioning to a radically self-managed, high-accountability culture, I can help.
Let’s talk!
Link to our YouTube channel - make sure to subscribe for helpful unbossing leadership resources and instant access to new videos weekly!
Comentarios