Are you a "Command and Control" manager?

In organisational system dynamics, it's seen more as anxiety being reflected into the workflow.

At this time of year, deadlines are really looming, and stress levels rise. And when leaders feel unsafe, they often grip the wheel tighter...

To lead well, when anxiety rises, you have to consciously trust and let go.

Here are 3 mental models to help:

1. Efficiency vs Speed (Roundabout Paradox)

• The Trap: You want safety > You install Lights (approvals, check-ins) > It feels orderly > You decide who moves, and when.

• The Reality: Traffic lights create gridlock > They rely on a central brain > You can’t process data fast enough.

• The Shift: Build a Roundabout. Base it on principles, not rules. Agree on the principles. Trust your people to navigate.

2. Innovation vs. Strategy (The Desire Path)

• The Trap: You design the "Perfect Road" (strategy) > Your team keeps "walking on the grass," cutting corners, and doing things differently > You see this as rebellion.

• The Reality: This is a Desire Path. It’s the muddy track that forms where people actually walk because it’s the most efficient route > It looks ugly compared to your strategy. It's messy.

• The Shift: Ask yourself: what really breaks if your team keeps walking on the grass? Is it possible they are innovating without you?

3. Roles vs Ego (The Sous Chef Dilemma)

• The Trap: You were the best specialist > Now you are the leader > The pressure hits > You run back "into the kitchen" to cook the steak yourself.

• The Reality: When the Executive Chef jumps on the line, the kitchen crowds > You signal to your Sous Chefs, "I don't trust you."

• The Shift: Your job is now to hold space for the cooking magic. The hardest psychodynamic hurdle is accepting that your team might cook the dish differently than you, and eventually, they might cook it better!

You have to mourn the loss of being the "star player" to become the coach.

Moving from Control to Trust feels like losing.

It feels like someone else is taking the glory, and you are taking the risk for all the downside. But that is the only way an organisation can grow.

Which one of these traps do you see playing out in your work team this week?