As chief of staff, I was intimately involved in the functioning of state government, our 100,000+ employees, and our then-$70 billion budget.

Each day, I held dozens of meetings with dozens and dozens of people, often in 15-minute increments. Issues came quickly, necessitating quick decisions. Most of the decisions meant delegating action items to others.

That’s where “Adam said” could be a blessing and a curse.

When guidance was given to someone with sound judgment, a good mind, and critical thinking skills, it was a blessing when they could convert my decision into something actionable.

With those who could only focus on the words I uttered, not the reasoning and context behind it, passing along decisions for others to execute was a curse.

In the latter instances, folks did EXACTLY as I said. No wavering. No application of judgment. No mental dexterity. That’s when mistakes were made, and new problems were created.

Perhaps on paper, we want people to do exactly what we say. That works in jobs that are highly repetitious, or where safety risks are mitigated by following very specific procedures.

But in the world of large, complex organizations, where no two issues are exactly the same, we want people to do what we say while also using their brains.

Otherwise, we have to become micro-managers of the highest order, ceding no control or decision-making authority into the organization. That reduces leadership capacity, limits reasoning power, and stifles intellectual growth.

If you’ve got people in your organization who focus only on your words, but not the meaning and context behind them, it’s time to make a change.

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