I have written a good deal recently about controlling leadership. As most of my posts do, this stems from current or past experience in leadership. Within the past 6 months I have talked with close to a dozen individuals in ministry who are experiencing this type of leader. It is effecting their personal leadership, as well as the health of their organization.
If you missed any of these posts you can read:
7 Warning Signs You May Be a Controlling Leader
3 Results of Controlling Leadership
7 Reactions to Controlling Leadership
The obvious most frequent question I receive as a result of these posts involves what to do about a controlling leader? I previously wrote a post about “leading up” called 5 Ways to Influence those Who Lead You, but it addresses a leader who may not be giving you a seat at the table, but not one who is necessarily a controlling leader. Controlling leadership appears to be a more difficult issue. A leader who attempts to control everything within his or her realm is much harder to influence.
So, here’s my best answer. Here are three ways to respond to a controlling leader: