Management and the Illusion of Control

Management promises authority, but often delivers more responsibility with very little power to change what actually matters.

As a kid, when I thought of a manager, I imagined someone in control. The boss. The person with authority. Someone people listened to. When they said jump, you jumped.

The reality of management is very different.

Even job descriptions for management roles subtly promise authority. Influence. The ability to make change. But once you’re in the role, the picture shifts quickly. You learn the business, understand what your team needs, and think, This isn’t complicated. A few changes could make a real difference.

So you bring those ideas up the chain.

Denied. There’s no budget. Find a way to fix the problem with what you already have.

Your team looks to you for solutions, but you don’t have approval. You’re expected to make an impact without the tools or authority to do so. Your presence alone isn’t enough to drive success, yet the pressure to deliver remains.

Progress stalls. Barriers multiply.

Many managers step into leadership believing they’ll be agents of change, only to realize that the same people who hired them are the ones blocking meaningful decisions. To make matters worse, collaboration across departments is often required, yet other managers may be unwilling or unable to work together.

There’s also a common belief that managers decide who gets hired, promoted, or let go. In reality, those decisions are frequently made much higher up. You may advocate for an employee who deserves a promotion, only to be told there’s no budget. Then you’re left to deliver the bad news.

Management isn’t always what it’s presented to be. The authority many people associate with the role often turns out to be an illusion. Managers carry responsibility without real control, accountable for outcomes they don’t have the power to influence.