My VP of Customer Success is a top performer but is now micromanaging our expanded division and causing high staff turnover because they cannot manage through supervisors. How do I help them scale their leadership style without stepping in myself?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To scale your business for a clean exit, your leaders must transition from managing individuals to managing through other managers. When a VP defaults to micromanagement, it is usually because they lack trust in their team or do not understand how to delegate. Stepping in to fix it yourself only undermines their authority and reinforces the behavior.

You must address this in your next same-page meeting or quarterly conversation using the GWC framework. Does this VP truly want and have the capacity to lead at this new level. If they do, you must define what their new seat on the Accountability Chart actually requires. A VP level seat is not about doing the work, it is about leading, managing, and creating accountability.

Help them build their own leadership team. They need to establish a clear cadence of communication with their supervisors using the Level 10 Meeting structure. This ensures they maintain visibility without suffocating their staff. Encourage them to delegate specific Rocks to their supervisors and hold them accountable for the results.

If they cannot make this transition, they have hit their ceiling in this role. You must either move them to a specialist seat where they can contribute individually or transition them out of the organization. A leader who micromanages will choke your growth and destroy the value of your business before an acquisition.