Thanks. Yes, I think the trick is that balance between safe and risky. Sometimes leaning hard into the risky side results in a mess but that will happen on occasion. To my folks I generally say that if things go well, it will be their fault, but if things don’t go well, it is my fault. So empowerment with a promise of support if things don’t go well, can encourage some pretty creative innovations.

Yes, I did feel like she weakened my authority by her actions. But this kind of thing is typical and just another bump to steer around. I’ve tried the “you are telling my team what to do, so why don’t you manage them” but I admit to doing the same thing on occasion to my managers. From this I’ve concluded that you have to let the boss “manage” on occasion. It helps them be involved, my folks often enjoy the visibility, and it often reminds my boss how tough the job really is.

As soon as your COO negotiated *your* subordinate’s compensation, she undermined your authority. At that point, you could have asked that the Customer Support Manager report directly to her. If not, it’s time to move on because you’ve been emasculated by your executive.

Empowering subordinates yields motivated teams, but doesn’t relieve you from being on top of your project.