Tight control brought Frank down

"Worrying, obsessing, and controlling are illusions. They are tricks we play on ourselves." - Melody Beattie

The amount of control people have, dictates the continuity of growth, success, and expansion.

Everyone wants to have things under their control—be it relationships, business, industry, or whatever they reign over.

It’s human nature, stemming from a lack of trust, the ego of showing to know it all, and the belief that only "me" or "us" can run the show.

For those who are in charge and in control—whether in business, relationships, or governance—it appears that things are fine and running smoothly. Their business is making sales, their relationships with others seem healthy, or the system is functioning and serving the public.

But no, things are not in good shape. They are either deteriorating, becoming outdated, stagnating, or plateauing. Anyone reading this knows exactly what I’m talking about.

If someone tries to control their relationships with a partner, friends, or children, it won’t go as anticipated. People rebel, arguments arise, or someone decide to leave.

The same applies to the public sector. Excessive control over policies hinders progress, stifles improvement, or slows development.

Imagine if every team member, manager, director, or anyone with responsibility in any sector had to go back to the top and wait for decisions on every direction. This would prevent businesses or institutions from serving, improving, and innovating. It would even kill the momentum of the people who are passionate about their work.

Take for example Frank Lorenzo was a successful entrepreneur. He thrived in acquiring airlines in the U.S. His leadership style was bold and decisive.

As the company grew, his lack of assigning tasks to teams caused bottlenecks. His tight control for every decision held back innovation. This caused several airlines to go bankrupt under his leadership.

The beginning of a business journey, or any venture in life, requires tight control.

The initiator of the idea or the newly appointed leader must bring their vision to life, execute it, and ensure that every aspect and corner is running smoothly, winning, and delivering results.

And the leader must continue making decisions during the execution phase, intervening in every part and piece. It's like starting a new business: when a builder lays the foundation and things start running smoothly, they hire people to take control, each in their area. In the next stage, the CEO or leader assigns competent individuals to manage, decide, and oversee the affairs of the business or department.

Leaders judge someone based on their results, not on how closely they control their work.

"You must have things under your control" — true, but not through centralized control. Leaders of families, teams, businesses, or organizations lead by monitoring, advising, and providing feedback.

It’s like parenting. Parents control what their kids eat and when they go to bed. As they grow, parents lose that control and instead consult and recommend. Parents step in only when a major issue arises.

We need more decentralized control in business and society.

This approach allows for quicker responses to challenges without the need for higher management approval. It encourages creativity, fosters the implementation of new ideas, and boosts job satisfaction and ownership among employees.

Giant companies knows the power of decentralized control. The music streaming giant Spotify employs a decentralized model known as the 'Squad' model. This approach:

Empowers small, cross-functional teams (squads) to work independently. Allows squads to decide what to work on and how to do it. Enhances agility and innovation across the organization.

Be the one who leads the show, not the one-man show. Letting go isn’t losing control; it’s about building something bigger than yourself.

The amount of control people have in the later stages of progress can make or break what they manage.

Thanks for reading, we will talk in the next letter.

Ahmed

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