When Your Team Keeps Asking You for Permission

Some leaders think they’re empowering their teams, but in reality, they’ve just become a permission machine. If your team constantly asks, “Is this okay?” or “What should I do next?”—you might be the bottleneck, not the leader.

Micromanagement doesn’t always look like breathing down someone’s neck. Sometimes, it looks like keeping all decisions in your hands, making employees feel they can’t act without your approval. This leads to hesitation, delays, and frustration.

A leader’s role isn’t to control every move—it’s to build a team that can think and act independently.

Why Leaders Fall into the Permission Trap

1. Fear of Mistakes

Many leaders hesitate to give full decision-making power because they worry about mistakes. But withholding responsibility stifles growth. Employees don’t learn critical thinking if they’re never trusted to make choices.

2. Desire for Control

Leaders often equate control with success. But when everything funnels through one person, efficiency drops. The leader becomes overwhelmed, and progress slows to a crawl.

3. A History of Bad Outcomes

If employees have made poor decisions in the past, a leader may step in more often. But instead of removing autonomy, leaders should coach employees on better decision-making strategies.

How to Shift from Permission to Empowerment

1. Define Decision-Making Boundaries

Give employees clarity on what they can decide on their own and when they need to escalate an issue. Example: A marketing team might have full control over campaign strategies but need approval for budget increases.

2. Ask Questions Instead of Giving Answers

If an employee comes to you for a decision, respond with: “What do you think?” This forces them to analyze the situation and propose a solution.

3. Reward Initiative

When employees take ownership, acknowledge it—even if their decision wasn’t perfect. The goal is to build confidence, not fear.

4. Create a Culture of Learning

Instead of punishing mistakes, treat them as opportunities for growth. Discuss what went wrong and how it can be avoided next time. If your team disappeared for a week, would work grind to a halt? If so, it’s time to rethink how you lead. True leadership isn’t about holding all the answers—it’s about building a team that doesn’t need to ask.

Dr. Merrylue Martin is President and Founder of the Job Joy Group, and best-selling author of the Big Quit Survival Guide and the newly published The ABC’s of Genius Leadership.