When Your Boss Won't Let Go: Surviving Micromanagement

“The micromanager is rather someone who uses the details for control. You want to assert your own perspective on most things. You take the lead in driving projects, making decisions, taking direction, and not allowing your team any room or space to do that.”

While most advice about micromanagement focuses on quick fixes or confrontation, the reality of handling a controlling boss – especially at the executive level – requires a more nuanced approach. How do you maintain your autonomy and leadership presence while working with someone who wants to control every detail?

In this episode, Lena and Claire explore practical strategies for handling micromanagement through the lens of Claire's multi-year experience with a C-level micromanager.

Claire shares honest insights about:

• Recognizing the difference between hands-on leadership and controlling behavior
• Understanding the underlying causes of micromanagement at the executive level
• Maintaining your team's trust while managing up to a controlling boss
• Setting boundaries without damaging important relationships
• Specific tactics that worked (and didn't work) in shifting the dynamic
• How to avoid becoming a micromanager yourself when under pressure

Together, they examine how to navigate this challenging dynamic while staying true to your leadership values and supporting your team.

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⁠⁠⁠Full episode transcript link⁠⁠⁠.

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Resources

• ⁠⁠Effective Skip-Level Meetings: A Guide and Templates for Managers of Managers

• • How to Manage Your Boss (With a Free Communication Template!)

• • Managing Up: The Most Important Skill for Anyone Who Has a Manager

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Why this podcast exists 

I make this podcast as a space for honest conversations about the hard parts of leadership that most leaders only dare to talk about behind closed doors—after all, we're supposed to be “in charge”, and “on top of things" at all times. But from my close work with dozens of leaders every week, I know that more leaders than you may think are struggling with topics like self-confidence, imposter syndrome, unclear expectations, or difficult bosses. This podcast is where we talk about it.

About your host

I’m Lena Reinhard (she/they), a fractional VP Engineering, leadership coach, mentor, and facilitator. Having served as an engineering executive with companies like CircleCI and Travis CI, and as a SaaS startup co-founder & CEO, I have dedicated my career to helping fast-paced organizations across the globe succeed in times of high change and challenging markets. You can regularly find me speaking at tech conferences and read my practical guides for leaders in the technology space ⁠⁠⁠on my website⁠⁠⁠.