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<p><span style="color: #222222;"><i>By Clark Lowe, President &; CEO — </i></span><a href="https://www.buildoconnor.com/homepage/our-story/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><i><u>O’Connor Company</u></i></span></a></p>
<p>The control-based approach to leadership is officially outdated, and young professionals are starting to push back. Why? Because they know that pressure is not a strategy — it’s a burnout-inducing blindfold that hides the true cost of control culture. Domineering leaders may be able to micromanage impressive short-term results from their teams, but their tactics inevitably lead to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lucianapaulise/2024/10/02/the-great-detachment-why-workers-are-disengaging-from-their-jobs/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>long-term disengagement</u></span></a> and turnover.</p>
<h2 class="western">Why a culture of control sabotages the workforce</h2>
<p>To the outside observer, pressure in exchange for performance may seem logical. If deadlines are not met or outputs are slipping, it may feel natural to push employees to work harder. After all, wasn’t that the way to make it in previous generations? Isn’t grit what builds character?</p>
<p>The truth? When employees feel constant pressure, they tend not to lean in. They back away. That pressure smothers any chance of creativity.</p>
<p>Overworked employees comply in the short term because they fear reprimand. However, it’s not long before they disengage. That’s when morale erodes, and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9368148/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>turnover skyrockets</u></span></a>.</p>
<p>Top performers are always highly employable. Rather than putting up with a control culture, they’ll be the first to leave for a healthier work environment.</p>
<p>Most of today’s young professionals value purpose and emotional well-being just as much as their paycheck’s zeros. Forcing them into a mold of silent compliance only ensures they’ll vote with their feet.</p>
<h2>The real reason leaders double down on control</h2>
<p>So, why do executives often revert to these fear-based tactics? It’s not solely because they are power hungry or bad leaders. The truth is usually more complicated: control masks uncertainty and fear.</p>
<p>Pressure from stakeholder demands and economic instability can cause even high-level CEOs to feel powerless. A leader’s natural response to this insecurity is often to tighten their grip on what they can control: the people beneath them. Unfortunately, the more leaders lean into this control, the more they undermine the stability and success they’re trying to achieve. This is because control fosters a culture of compliance, rather than commitment.</p>
<h2>Retaining high performance without fear-based leadership</h2>
<p>While many leaders falsely believe their employees will slack off without relentless pressure, reports show that humans are <a href="https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/the-value-of-building-pride-in-the-workplace"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>highly driven when they feel they’re working toward something meaningful</u></span></a>. Fear may temporarily drive compliance, but inspiration drives commitment. A team of committed employees maintains high performance without the need for intimidation.</p>
<p>High performers want to be trusted with the autonomy to make decisions and choose when and where they work. Pairing this autonomy with high expectations and support yields ownership and accountability.</p>
<p>When <a href="https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2023/01/02/the-changing-nature-of-leadership/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>leaders learn to trust their teams</u></span></a>, they build resilience together. The leaders acknowledge challenges instead of sweeping them under the rug. When the challenges are in the open, everyone works to collaborate on solutions. Strength doesn’t come from pretending everything’s fine but from solving problems as a team.</p>
<p>Teams maintain high performance when employees feel inspired and energized by their work, rather than shackled to it. Forcing brilliance from a place of fear will only dilute it.</p>
<h2>AI and generational shifts force leaders to rethink their approach</h2>
<p>As a young professional entering today’s workforce, you have a vastly different <a href="https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/genz-millennial-survey.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>perspective from the generations before</u></span></a>. You grew up in an era of rapid technological change and social movements that advocated for transparency and mental health awareness, which has rewritten your expectations for work culture. You don’t want to pay your dues in an unhealthy environment. You want a human-centric workplace where your contributions feel meaningful.</p>
<p>The rise of AI is also transforming the workplace. It automates mundane tasks, <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/when-automation-takes-over-creation-will-take-off/491782"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>leaving employees to focus on the creative or collaborative work</u></span></a> that computers cannot do. Suddenly, those old metrics of success, like how many hours you sat in your chair, are out the window.</p>
<p>This new era requires leaders who understand that people aren’t cogs in a wheel — they are the drivers of innovation. Leaders who fail to embrace this shift will find themselves managing machines while their top talent walks out the door.</p>
<h2>The work cultures we build today shape tomorrow’s success</h2>
<p>Pressure isn’t a strategy — it’s an unsustainable reaction to fear. If you’re a young professional feeling smothered by control culture, know this: The system needs you to advocate for change. And if you’re a leader trying to steer your team through uncertain waters, remember that fear is contagious. So is hope.</p>
<p>Leadership, at its best, isn’t about control. It’s about trust, inspiration, and collaboration. The modern workforce is capable of producing incredible outcomes, but only if leaders rise to meet the moment and leave fear-based tactics behind.</p>