Micromanagement remains a persistent issue in the professional world—a tendency toward overcontrol that stifles collaboration and undermines trust. At Penn State’s School of Labour and Employment Relations (LER), faculty members Craig L. Pearce and Hee Man Park refer to these overbearing figures as “accidental dictators.” This term hints not at malicious intent but a leadership misstep many fall into without even realising it.
In an article recently published in Organizational Dynamics, Pearce — the Brova Family Endowed Professor of Leadership and Human Resources — and Park, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management and Director of LER’s graduate programme explore this phenomenon’s underlying causes and consequences. Their audience includes business leaders and HR professionals — precisely the groups they aim to inform and influence. Pearce explains their mission succinctly: “We’re trying to create actionable knowledge that people can read and apply that very same day.” His forthcoming book, Shared Leadership 2.0: Taking Stock and Looking Forward, co-authored with fellow faculty members Natalia Lorinkova and Christina L. Wassenaar, will be released by Cambridge University Press on 24 April and further expands on these themes.
The article’s origin lies in a case study from Pearce’s classroom — a course on shared leadership at the Drucker School of Management. One executive, frustrated that her team refused to take the initiative, shared her experience with Pearce, who replied, “Thank you for sharing — I think you might be the problem.” This anecdote planted the seed for the article’s central argument. Pearce has long taught what he calls the “smart person leadership trap”: the idea that intelligent individuals often rise to leadership roles because they are capable and knowledgeable, but this very expertise can breed dependency. Team members come to rely on the leader for every decision, and gradually, the leader unwittingly establishes a hierarchy that discourages autonomy. It’s a relatable scenario for many managers and one that Pearce and Park argue is best addressed through increased self-awareness and intentional delegation.
Park elaborates by referencing findings from delegation research. Leaders, he explains, rarely delegate key decisions. Instead, they tend to assign their subordinates only minor or routine tasks. This reveals a fundamental lack of trust or, at the very least, a hesitation to relinquish control. The more a leader’s expertise becomes recognised, the more their team depends on them, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of centralised power. Even well-meaning leaders, once immersed in organisational pressures and performance goals, may dismiss others’ input. While this intense goal orientation might drive success in the early stages of a leader’s career, it becomes a limiting factor over time. Park argues that advancement requires technical competence and the ability to collaborate, nurture talent, and build resilient interpersonal relationships.
One of the practical strategies Pearce advocates for avoiding this leadership pitfall is what he terms “circumscribed empowerment.” While empowerment is often viewed as a universal good, it can sometimes lead to unintended outcomes if not properly framed. “When people hear they’re empowered,” Pearce says, “they may think that means total freedom — but that’s rarely what leaders have in mind.” Circumscribed empowerment involves delineating the boundaries within which subordinates can make decisions. It’s about providing structure along with autonomy. For instance, empowered individuals should be encouraged to consult their leaders when their choices affect others, particularly across departments. Leaders can grant genuine autonomy by setting expectations and boundaries while ensuring organisational coherence and coordination.
Another foundational principle discussed in the article is cultivating a shared vision and adopting a long-term perspective. According to Pearce, simply stating a vision does not ensure it is shared; it must be co-created. Involving team members in the vision-building process fosters ownership and alignment. Repetition and reinforcement are essential, but genuine engagement gives a shared vision its staying power. Pearce argues that a long-term mindset radically alters leadership behaviour regarding time orientation. It does not mean discarding short-term objectives but approaching them within a broader sustainability and strategic depth framework. Leaders who adopt a long-term view are better equipped to think critically, balance competing priorities, and make decisions that serve immediate needs and the organisation’s health over time.
Park agrees, noting that organisations too often promote individuals into leadership roles based solely on their success in technical tasks. This might be effective in the short term, but it fails to account for the skills that truly sustain leadership: emotional intelligence, communication, and collaborative acumen. By contrast, a long-term view encourages companies to select leaders who inspire, guide, and grow others. In such cultures, delegation is not seen as relinquishing control but as a strategic move that allows leaders to scale their impact. The mistake, Park warns, is in assuming that leadership is about doing everything oneself. The reality is that effective leadership means cultivating capable teams and distributing decision-making power appropriately.
The School of Labour and Employment Relations has taken proactive steps to tackle these issues at the institutional level. In the autumn of 2024, they introduced a residential major in organisational leadership and a leadership minor. A new certificate programme in leadership is also forthcoming. These offerings aim to equip students — whether their primary fields are engineering, science, finance, or otherwise — with the interpersonal and collaborative skills essential for modern leadership. Pearce says, “You pick the technical topic, and we now have the on-ramp to complement that with leadership development.” The ultimate goal is to prepare graduates to excel in their disciplines and lead others effectively and ethically, avoiding the common traps that turn capable managers into accidental dictators.
More information: Craig L. Pearce et al, Are you an accidental dictator?: The smart person leadership trap…and how to avoid it, Organizational Dynamics. DOI: 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2025.101130
Journal information: Organizational Dynamics Provided by Penn State