The Oxford dictionary defines “control freaks” as any person “who feels an obsessive need to exercise control over themselves and others and to take command of any situation.”

Guilty. As. Charged.

Sometimes, control freaks are called “Type A Personalities” which I think is a much kinder way of putting it, don’t you? Either way, we’re out here and we’ve got our lists ready. 

In this blog, I want to talk a little bit about this personality type as it relates to business owners. In my work as a coach, I have seen both the upsides and the downsides to being both a control freak and an entrepreneur. It’s my hope that my observations here will help you run your business and your life in a way that gets you closer to your big, bold dreams!

Control Freaks: Who Are They?

There was an article published in 2012 by Inc.com that discussed a theory that control freaks are people who are trying to get a handle on their own anxiety. They think that if they have more power in a situation, they can manage their own uneasiness. Leaving things up to others (aka trusting in the unknown) is scary, so they avoid doing that at all costs.

What does this look like from the outside? A lot of micromanagement, constructive (or not so constructive) criticism, and intervening in projects or tasks that aren’t technically on your plate. 

If you are a business owner who also identifies as a control freak, this can present some very real problems. Of course, your team will probably not appreciate being micromanaged, so you may deal with personnel issues more often than other entrepreneurs. Your lack of delegation may lead to bottlenecks, which means missed deadlines and for many businesses, missed deadlines equal missed profits.

In an attempt to control everything and make sure it all goes well, we sabotage our own success. No good.

Are You a Control Freak?

After all of that, you probably don’t want to admit to yourself (or anyone else) that you might be a control freak. However, it’s important to identify the behaviors that might be standing in the way of success, even if those behaviors are coming from inside the house. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to determine if you have some of these common “control freak” tendencies:

  1. Do you prefer to work alone rather than work as part of a team?
  2. Do you spend a lot of time trying to prevent bad things from happening?
  3. Do you often give other people advice, even if they haven’t asked for it?
  4. Do you feel uncomfortable letting other people do things for you?
  5. Do you find that you “over-plan” simple events and activities?

If you answered “yes” to most or all of these questions, there’s a good chance you, my friend, are a control freak. 

It’s okay, though! Now that you know you have these tendencies and can recognize that most of them are coming from a feeling of anxiety, you can start to manage the behaviors and become a more productive and successful business owner.

Managing the Anxiety

Of course, I am not a psychiatrist, so I am not going to give you the magical formula to overcome your anxiety for good. I wish I could, but that is well beyond my area of expertise! However, the next time you feel yourself starting to over-control a situation or project, I want you to consider these:

  • Hire Great People – The next time you bring a new team member on board, don’t go for someone you feel you can “mold” to fit your organization. Instead, choose someone who makes you feel comfortable handing things off to. Look for someone who is aligned with your vision, values, and mission. When you’re on the same page about those things, you’re less likely to feel like you need to be involved in every decision.
  • Meaningful Control – Instead of micromanaging projects, find a way to be meaningfully involved. Maybe you develop the overall strategy and delegate each moving part to someone who is specifically trained to do the task well. Then, step out of the way.
  • Hire a Coach – If you feel like you need process and control, hire a coach who can explore that with you. Someone to review where you are today versus where you want to be tomorrow and create a strategy and plan to get you there. When you’re not busy acting in an operations role, you can be free to work on the big picture vision instead, which is where you should be.

It’s time to let go so your company can grow! If you want to discuss this topic further, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you think!