Letting go for leaders

Letting go is vital for cultures, leaders, employees, and organizations. Without letting go, organizations whither away due to micro-management. Too much control stifles engagement, agility, innovation, collaboration, responsibility, and so on! It’s dangerous.

Ricardo Semler

One of the most provocative and inspiring initiators of letting go of control is Ricardo Semler. In 1982, he took over his father’s company Semco and got a burn-out.

He then decided to create a company in which he would like to work himself. He fired two-thirds of the executives and invited the remaining staff to decide for themselves: work times, salaries, and who would be team leaders.

Semco transformed from a mediocre, industrial enterprise with an annual 4 million dollar turnover (1982) into an organization that diversified in several industry groups (from air coolers to consultancy) and that makes 400 million USD yearly.

In an interview, Semler said: “Many leaders like the theory of giving employees more responsibilities and letting go of controlling mechanisms – but when it comes down to it – they don’t want to do it. You need a leap of faith as there are no guarantees.

Fundamental fear

It’s a fundamental human fear to lose control and embrace the unknown. People don’t want to let go of control because you don’t know in what direction things will turn when you do.

Says Semco: “My wife started a small hotel and she was completely through with consulting everyone. She wanted to rule – it was her hotel, after all. I warned her she would get little sleep if she would be the boss. We have five children and we travel a lot, so you need to make choices.

If you want to be free, you have to give your employees the autonomy they need to do their work. It’s not easy. People often forget that freedom comes with discipline and accountability. The job or project needs to be done.”

Can you do that? What could you let go of, so that your team or co-workers will experience more freedom and space?

This is book post #79 – Part “WE”

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If you’re confused, check the Positive Power overview and read the Positive Agent Manifesto.

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© Copyright Marcella Bremer, 2018. All rights reserved.