Micromanagement often arises from autocratic leadership. Autocratic leadership style is leadership system where leaders impose tight control. Some leaders do this because they fear loss of quality or there is pressure such as an important deadline.
Research shows this creates a vicious cycle of excessive oversight, overwhelmed employees, and lack of autonomy.
Excessive oversight and employees that feel overwhelmed is an indication of high job demands. Likewise lack of autonomy shows that the work environment is low on resources. The cumulation of this is that job satisfaction and job engagement are eroded.
Over time, this leads to burnout. Individuals in such systems feel trapped and undervalued.
On the other hand, high-performance work systems show that empowering employees with decision-making power and support can break this cycle. This promotes trust and productivity.
Finally, Overcoming micromanagement, is not only about control—it is about building environments where autonomy thrives, reducing stress and boosting performance.
