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I was recently part of a panel on creating psychological safety for distributed teams, and my fellow panelist, Torin Perez, asked by a show of hands, “Who likes to be micromanaged?” Unsurprisingly, no one raised their hand. While it’s safe to say that most people don’t enjoy being micromanaged, they do appreciate direction, guidance, and support, and above all, they crave trust. In fact, psychological safety, a term coined by Harvard organizational behavioral scientist Amy Edmondson in 1999, is defined as “a shared team belief that one can speak up without risk of punishment or humiliation.”

Leaders who entrust and empower provide direction, autonomy, and clearly defined boundaries. They create a space for their team to take on challenges with the confidence of being supported and knowing their opinion is valued.

On the other hand, leaders who operate from a place of distrust can undo even the strongest teams and organizations. Trust lends itself to reliability and stability, because people know what to expect. Leaders who try to empire build by accumulating power, responsibility, or staff for their own self-aggrandizement are the antithesis of team.

Do you include or exclude?

If you’re an excluder, sharing information with a select group of people on the team or assigning projects to the same people over and over again, you’re not empowering your team. Exclusion breeds distrust and disadvantage, as those not in the know are unable to contribute to the overall success of the team.

Teach or torment?

As leaders, it’s important to ask ourselves if we are teachers or tormentors. The best leaders empower their team and use every opportunity to make them stronger. The job of a teacher leader is to empower and get out of the way. In sports, the coach doesn’t suit up and get in the game. The coach sets the direction and the players carry out the vision because they are empowered and trusted to do so.

The tormentor, on the other hand, tears people down and works to disempower the team. This behavior hurts morale, makes the team less effective, and ultimately drives unwanted attrition, which weakens the bottom line of the organization.

Have a renters’ mentality or an ownership attitude?

Renters cede leadership and accountability when the going gets tough, but owners understand they own all outcomes, positive and negative. Leaders who have a renters’ mentality do not take full ownership of their actions and decisions. Rather, they may blame external factors or others when things go wrong.

To cultivate an ownership attitude as a leader, it’s important to prioritize your accountability for your actions and decisions. This means being honest and transparent with your team, even when it’s difficult. It also means being willing to admit when you’ve made a mistake and taking steps to correct it.