In this episode of Bite Size Brilliance: Managing People, I'm joined by Adrian Wolfberg, organisational scientist and founder of Organizational Insight Consulting, to unpack a pattern that shows up in businesses of every size: telling someone "you own this" while still checking every decision they make.

Adrian draws on years of experience across defence, intelligence and organisational research to explain the difference between delegating a task and delegating the judgment that goes with it, why managers default to control even when they don't mean to, and the "double bind" that quietly teaches capable people to stop deciding and start waiting.

We also talk about why the same pattern shows up in small businesses as much as large ones, just for different reasons.

If you've ever wondered why your team keeps turning up at your door instead of getting on with it, this one's for you.

Connect with Adrian: oicllc.org | LinkedIn

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BiteSize Brilliance: Managing People

Most managers were never actually taught how to manage. They were brilliant at their job, got promoted, and then found themselves responsible for a team with no real preparation for what that means. This podcast is for them. Bite Size Brilliance: Managing People is hosted by Nicola Richardson, founder of The People Mentor, with over 40 years of experience in leadership development and people management. Each episode is short, practical, and designed to give you something you can actually use - whether you're dealing with a difficult conversation you've been putting off, trying to get the best out of your team, or just feeling the weight of managing people and wondering if it's supposed to feel this hard. Episodes alternate between solo episodes where Nicola shares her expertise directly, and honest conversations with guests who know what it's like to lead people in the real world. No theory for theory's sake. No corporate fluff. Just real, useful insight for real managers.

Bitesize Brilliance: Managing People

Most managers were never actually taught how to manage. They were brilliant at their job, got promoted, and then found themselves responsible for a team with no real preparation for what that means. This podcast is for them. Bite Size Brilliance: Managing People is hosted by Nicola Richardson, founder of The People Mentor, with over 40 years of experience in leadership development and people management. Each episode is short, practical, and designed to give you something you can actually use - whether you're dealing with a difficult conversation you've been putting off, trying to get the best out of your team, or just feeling the weight of managing people and wondering if it's supposed to feel this hard. Episodes alternate between solo episodes where Nicola shares her expertise directly, and honest conversations with guests who know what it's like to lead people in the real world. No theory for theory's sake. No corporate fluff. Just real, useful insight for real managers.