Dear Yogesh,

I am the director of eCommerce marketing for a fast-growing, innovative global digital logistics company. Our marketing team is quite large, with three other directors overseeing different marketing functions. We’re all very busy.

My challenge lies with my boss, our CMO. She’s brilliant, does an excellent job with strategy, and all her teams are meeting their goals. The problem is that she often gets into the weeds. Despite her significant responsibilities, she insists on reading every blog, reviewing every word of copy, and approving every minor detail of our work. This constant involvement means we lose valuable time waiting for her approval, and it often impacts our timelines.

Things move fast in our business, and we need to be able to make decisions quickly. Our value statements and messaging have been thoroughly crafted, and there’s little chance of making major mistakes. But my boss seems stressed and overwhelmed, and I’m sure her micromanaging contributes to that.

It just doesn’t make sense to me. Sometimes, I feel like asking her if she doesn’t have more important things to focus on than overseeing every little thing we do. I really admire her, and we have a strong relationship, but I’m not sure how to give her this feedback.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Shubham

Dear Shubham,

It’s incredibly common for senior leaders to struggle with letting go. The attention to detail and hands-on approach that you describe likely helped your boss reach her position, but she may not have realized that once you reach an executive role, you can’t continue operating the same way. If she doesn’t adjust soon, she could either burn out or risk alienating her directors. I recently wrote about this in an article for the CLO website, 12 Things Your Executive Coach Wants You to Know. You may want to share it with her. Here’s an excerpt:

“What got you here (really) won’t get you there.” Marshall Goldsmith is spot-on with this message. Most people are promoted to managerial positions because they excel as individual contributors, but managing others requires an entirely different set of skills. When leaders move from managing individuals to managing teams—and then from managing teams to managing entire businesses—they must shift their perspective and learn new ways of leading. What worked before may not work now, and holding on to old habits can impede growth.

It’s hard for a subordinate to give the feedback you're hoping for, especially when it involves challenging your boss's way of working. Asking if she doesn’t have better things to do may not get the results you want, but there is another way to approach the conversation.

You could try saying something like:
“Hey, I want you to know that my goal is to make your job easier. I’ve noticed that you sometimes seem to have a hard time trusting me and my team, and I’m wondering what kind of evidence would help you feel confident in our ability to deliver without needing to oversee every detail. I’d love for you to be able to focus on the many other things you need to be paying attention to.”

This approach opens up a dialogue where she might share her concerns or fears, which could provide valuable insight. She may articulate what evidence she needs to feel comfortable, or she may have a moment of reflection that leads her to reconsider her approach. Together, you might come up with a weekly review or another way for her to feel in control while still giving you the space to do your work.

However, there’s a chance she might not be receptive.

In the meantime, you can start managing the immediate issue by setting clear deadlines for her approvals. That way, you can keep your timelines intact. Ultimately, though, the responsibility to adjust her micromanagement lies with her. If she’s open to your help, great! If not, she will need to figure out how to balance her hands-on approach with the demands of her role.

It’s clear that you care, and it’s worth making the attempt to help her shift.

Best of luck,
Yogesh

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