How to avoid being a micromanager: BECOMING IRRELEVANT MAKES YOU INDISPENSABLE
It sounds strange, doesn’t it? How can being “irrelevant” possibly make you more valuable? But that’s exactly the paradox of leadership I learned through hard experience.
My First Lesson in Irrelevance
During one of the biggest operations of my career in Afghanistan, I wasn’t there. I was back home on rest and recovery leave. I hated it. I was terrified my team would struggle without me.
But when I returned, I found something unexpected: not only had they managed, they had thrived. They had built the bridge, established the base, and held the line — all without me.
It stung my ego, but it taught me the most important lesson of my career: the less I was needed, the better I had done my job.
The Trap of Relevance
Most leaders try to be as relevant as possible. We want to be involved in every decision. We want to be indispensable. But this leads to two dangerous outcomes:
Burnout – You bury yourself under an avalanche of tasks.
Weak teams – You make your people dependent on you instead of capable on their own.
The Irrelevant Advantage
Now here’s the paradox: the more irrelevant you become to day-to-day operations, the more valuable you become to your organization.
Why? Because you finally have the bandwidth to think strategically. You stop firefighting and start steering the ship. And your team becomes stronger, more resilient, and more capable.
How to Put It Into Practice
Start by asking yourself: What decisions am I making today that my team could make without me? Then, step back. Push responsibility down. Close your door — literally or symbolically — and give your team the space to own their work.
The moment you feel slightly uncomfortable because you’re no longer the center of everything? That’s when you know you’re doing it right.
Because paradoxically, the less you’re needed, the more indispensable you actually are.
Thanks for reading,
Phil