The Truth Behind Autonomy

The last time I was asked what I want from a manager, my response was…

Autonomy.

That’s a loaded answer, but this is what I meant.

“Hold me accountable for results and if I meet them don’t nitpick about how I got there.”

“But if I don’t achieve the desired outcome(s) feel free to critique my performance and give me feedback how I can do better.”

Currently I’m teaching a servant leadership class to teenagers and the concept of autonomy became clearer.

It’s really balancing freedom and responsibility.

• The more responsible you are, the more freedom you get.

• The less responsible you are, the less freedom you get.

Simple, right?

It applies to the workplace too.

Let’s say you’re a manager.

The amount of autonomy (freedom) permitted should be tied to how responsible that teammate is.

Everyone starts at the same point, but how you perform determines how much freedom you get.

On the flip side as an employee, it comes down to earning trust.

Not all workers are equal.

If you want more flexibility, prove you deserve it by your action(s).

It’s like the analogy between working for a company versus being an entrepreneur.

Besides the predictable pay, the biggest difference as a business owner is the lack of structure.

We all say, we don’t want a boss, but are you disciplined enough to police yourself even when you don’t feel like working?

My reality is I can goof off all day if I please, but it’s on me if I don’t get paid.

So when it comes to requesting more autonomy be careful what you wish for.

Essentially you’re asking for more responsibility (which has its pros and cons).

I find that the most autonomous people tend to be highly self-motivated and responsible.

In Dan Pink’s book, Drive, he listed the 3 greatest motivators as: purpose, mastery (skill) and autonomy.

For me this hits home because when people ask me why I went on my own it’s:

For the freedom and flexibility to spend time the way I choose to (mostly w/ family)

Your “drive” may be different, yet it’s helpful to identify your motivation before choosing your career.

Part of being self-aware is knowing what type of work environment suits you to do your best work.

Once you figure that out you’re free to pursue how you add value to the world.

As for leaders, here’s some advice: read and treat your people differently.

The amount of freedom and responsibility should to be dished out on a spectrum.

Be the leader who helps others identify their motivators then put them in a position to succeed.

Do that and the entire team wins.

If you can use some help implementing this strategy into your company reply to this email and let’s talk.

God Bless,

Scott

P.S. In addition to the topic of autonomy, great leaders also do this👇