How to make it: The best leaders micromanage
It’s an unpopular opinion, but from Steve Jobs to Tufan Erginbilgic, the best leaders get involved in every aspect of their business, says Richard Harpin
Every successful sports team has a manager constantly tweaking tiny details to get the upper hand. Michelin-starred chefs are lauded because they inspect every dish that comes out of the kitchen, exerting ultimate control. And should you ever need surgery, fingers crossed you’ll be in the hands of a specialist who dominates proceedings, ensuring everyone outperforms.
In my eyes, they’re all micromanagers. So, I’ve never understood why that leadership trait is so frowned upon in business. Better to be delegating than micromanaging, we’re told. Well, I’ve never been one to follow the herd. In my experience, micromanaging is essential if you want to inspire business growth and get the best out of your teams. If you’re not on top of everything, chances are everything will get on top of you.
But, of course, it needs to be done in moderation. No one wants to work for a control freak sticking their nose into every meeting and decision. As a leader and colleague, you’ve got to treat people with respect but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be laser-focused on the details of how everyone’s performing. For me, there isn’t a choice between delegation or micromanaging – we should be practising both concurrently, targeting efforts so that we’re effective and not overly-interfering leaders.
Micromanagement helped Steve Jobs take Apple from the brink of failure to being worth almost $400bn when he died in 2012. Every day, he’d meet his chief designer, Sir Jony Ive, for lunch poring over the details of what his British genius was up to. Jobs wanted to be involved in everything. Did Ive get upset about being micromanaged and jump ship to where he could be free of a controlling boss? No. He got promoted and worked for Jobs for 15 years, excelling under his micromanaging boss.
Indeed, when it comes to promotions or new hires, I think micromanaging in those first weeks and months is essential. Colleagues are rarely equipped with the exact skills and experience from day one. They grow into roles and the best learn fast. David Bowie once said that the most successful people were those who forced themselves to get out of their depth: “When you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” But to do that, people need help, guidance, advice – and a healthy dose of micromanagement.
In the entrepreneurial phase of Homeserve’s growth – its first eight years – I was definitely a micromanager. In fact, our success depended on me knowing every detail and being involved in all decisions. Then, when we began to enjoy sustainable success, I surrounded myself with great people and gave them autonomy and responsibility to do what they felt was right within an agreed framework. I learned to trust them and, because of that, I was able to step up rather than step out. To work on our long-term plans, keep a closer eye on competitors, look for new markets while they focused on the day-to-day. And for those that didn’t perform as I hoped, I micromanaged them closely until I micromanaged them out of the business. There were times when I knew that if I hadn’t been at the table, things would have taken a wrong turn. When we hit rough patches, it was down to me to get us back on track, to micromanage our way forwards and banish uncertainty.
For those that didn’t perform as I hoped, I micromanaged them closely until I micromanaged them out of the business
There’s nothing wrong with a leader or manager getting involved in the day-to-day work of colleagues. One of the reasons Will Shu has been such an effective founder CEO of Deliveroo is that once a month he gets on his bike and delivers food orders across London and, when abroad, hits the streets to get a better understanding of how his teams operate.
In fact, those who aren’t immersed in the day-to-day are probably failing in their duty because it’s their authority, experience, expertise and connections that will help get things done. When you’re present as a leader, stuff happens. People stick to their priorities. Deadlines are met. Agreed goals get the right attention. And, just as importantly, costly mistakes are less likely to be made. Call it micromanaging if you want. I call it smart business.
Micromanagement depends on trust
But it doesn’t work unless you have that trust. Without it, micromanagement becomes corrosive. As leaders, we have to trust people to make the right decisions. That means giving them the space and confidence to do things their way – whilst preparing the groundwork with clear communications and constructive advice. Trusting them to get the job done and to be independent thinkers. I’ve been impressed by the way Rolls-Royce’s CEO Tufan Erginbilgic has micromanaged the strategy that has inspired its phenomenal growth. He took over in 2023, a couple of years after the company was valued at £1.25bn and was facing expulsion from the FTSE-100. Only three years later and its market value is £87bn. That’s partly down to the way he gave his leadership team the space to execute that strategy. They know what they’re doing. More importantly, he trusts them to do it.
When I’m investing in entrepreneurs, I’m not just looking at their ideas and business models, the long-term strategies and scope for growth. I’m investing in their passion and drive. I want to know that he or she is going to be there every step of the way, dotting every I and crossing every T, that they’re willing to back up their vision with incessant action and want to develop talent by giving people the tools to thrive. In short, that they have the right character – one of the essential ingredients for any leader and a cornerstone of my new book, How To Make a Billion in 9 Steps.
There’s a fine line in business that the best leaders are adept at treading. Between breathing down people’s necks the whole time, and sitting on their shoulders to offer help at the right moments. Between delegating so that you don’t need to be in the office, and staying close to colleagues to get the best out of them. Between empowering people to improve, and doing their job for them because you don’t have the patience.
These micromanaging leaders aren’t egotists who want to do it all just because they can (or think they can). Instead, they want to succeed at every opportunity. If it works for the best sports teams, restaurants and hospitals, then micromanaging can work for your business too.
Richard Harpin is founder of Homeserve and author of How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps