Command and Control Mentality vs Agile Leadership

In the post about "What is Agile Leadership" I mentioned the following anti-patterns for a good Agile leader:

1. Command and Control Mentality

2. Ignoring Feedback and Continuous Improvement

3. Lack of Transparency

4. Overemphasis on Processes over People

5. Setting Unrealistic Expectations

The idea behind mentioning and recognising these anti-patterns is that it is easier to explain what not to do when defining good agile leadership.

"Understanding anti-patterns is equally valuable as learning from mistakes."

So let's focus in this post on the first anti-pattern; Command and Control Mentality.

Why do we do this?

There are various reasons why managers (and non-managerial leaders) use a command and control mentality.

1. Lack of Trust: Managers may not trust their team members' abilities to make decisions or complete tasks without close supervision. This lack of trust can lead to a desire for strict control over every aspect of the work.

2. Fear of Failure: Managers may be afraid that if they don't closely monitor and control every aspect of a project, it will fail. This fear of failure can drive them to micromanage and dictate how things should be done.

3. Traditional Hierarchy: In organisations with a long history of hierarchical management structures, the command and control mentality may be deeply ingrained. Managers may simply follow the traditional way of leading because it's what they always did.

4. Accountability and Responsibility: Managers may feel personally accountable for the team's performance, and they believe that taking control is the best way to ensure success. They may not fully understand the concept of shared responsibility and accountability in agile environments.

5. Pressure for Short-Term Results: In environments where there is a strong emphasis on short-term results, managers may resort to command and control to ensure immediate compliance and output, even if it comes at the cost of long-term team morale and productivity.

6. Lack of Training and Awareness: Some managers may not have received training in modern leadership methodologies like agile, and they may not be aware of alternative approaches to leadership that can be more effective in today's dynamic work environments.

7. Organisational Culture: The overall culture and values of an organisation can influence managerial behaviour. If the organisational culture emphasises top-down control and does not support empowerment, managers may feel compelled to use a command and control approach.

Often, you will see the reason for adopting a command and control mentality is caused by a combination of these reasons.

I personally observed that a combination of an organizational culture (7), where it was expected that managers knew all the details of what the team was doing, along with holding the manager accountable (4) for everything the team did, led to an unintended command and control mentality. Even though these managers had good intentions, I noticed that it hindered delivery teams from fully taking responsibility and ownership of their work.

Why does it not fit Agile Leadership?

It's important to note that while command and control may have been effective in certain situations or eras, it tends to hamper creativity, innovation, and adaptability, which are crucial in today's rapidly changing business landscape. Agile leadership, with its emphasis on collaboration, empowerment, and trust, is often seen as a more effective and sustainable approach to managing teams and achieving long-term success.

I am also a strong believer that the manager is not necessary the most knowledgable when leading a team of knowledge workers. So when you have the right specialists in your team, it is kind of conflicting to micro-manage these specialist. You can also imagine it is not very motivating for these specialists to be micro-managed and you will risk that this person will quit or become a very passive and unmotivated employee (silent quitter).

It's truly a waste of all the positive energy invested in an Agile transformation, where the organization has learned Agile methodologies, introduced Agile roles, and teams are enthusiastically learning how to become effective Agile teams. All these efforts won't excel and deliver the desired benefits when leadership lags behind and doesn't embrace an Agile leadership style.

Lessons learned and recommendations

It is a bit too easy to just say; "stop micro managing!", especially if you find yourself in an environment where you feel the pressure to manage like this. The following suggestions might help you.

1. A good start is to educate leaders and team members about the core values and principles of Agile. Understanding these principles can help shift mindsets away from command and control.

2. In the Agile transformation I was part of, we spent significant time on leadership training and coaching. This helped leaders to develop the skills necessary for facilitating, empowering, and supporting their teams.

3. Lead by Example. When senior management is supporting the transformation of which Agile leadership is an important aspect they can act as an example by stopping micro managing on their level. They can also contribute to a culture of trust by allowing team members to have more autonomy and ownership over their work. Encourage leaders to delegate decision-making authority to those closest to the work.

4. Encourage the formation of cross-functional teams that are responsible for end-to-end delivery of products. This fosters collaboration and reduces the need for hierarchical control. This is by the way a nice test if the organisation really is willing to change, since this change feels uncomfortable for the managers that like command and control.

5. Ensure that everyone in the organisation understands the overarching goals and objectives. Align individual and team goals with the organisation's mission and vision to promote a sense of purpose and shared responsibility.

I hope this post gave some more insight in one of the anti-patterns of Agile Leadership; a command and control mentality. Please contact us in case you have questions or need help regarding this topic.