Handcuffs Aren’t Always Made of Steel: Leadership Empowerment in the Field

Alex Khachaturian
Jul 2
2 min read

Updated: Jul 19

When I started a new job a few years ago, I was fired up. New team, new system, new challenges. I showed up early, got my credentials, logged in, and got to work.

But something felt off.

I didn’t know the system well yet, so I chalked up the friction to my own learning curve. It wasn’t until weeks later that I realized I was operating under constraints I couldn’t see. I had been handcuffed, not literally, of course, but structurally. My access was limited, my decisions required approval, and every action felt like I had to prove I was capable of even basic steps before being trusted to run.

I was told I had to “learn how to walk before I could run,” but the reality was, I already knew how to walk, and they just wouldn’t let me.

This wasn’t about safety or standards. It was about control.

It was one of the first times I truly saw how subtle leadership dynamics can stifle growth without ever saying “no” outright. It taught me patience, yes. But more importantly, it taught me that not every leader wants to see you succeed. Some want to keep you beneath them because it’s easier to pull someone down than lift them up.

That experience shaped how I lead today. When someone joins my team, I don’t give them handcuffs. I give them opportunity, support, and trust, and I let them show me how fast they can run.

Leadership Lesson: Control vs. Empowerment

If you’re in a leadership role, ask yourself:

Are your new team members free to explore and contribute?
Have you made it clear where they’re trusted vs. where they’re being evaluated?
Are you equipping them with autonomy or slowing them down with unnecessary gatekeeping?

Control is often disguised as “protecting the process.” But if your team can’t take initiative, the problem might not be their inexperience, it might be your fear of letting go.

Tactical Ways to Remove the Handcuffs

Give access upfront: Don’t make them beg for the tools they need.
Offer stretch tasks: Let new team members lead small initiatives early on.
Check your ego: If your team member shines, it reflects well on you, not poorly.
Replace micromanagement with coaching: Guide instead of gatekeeping.
Default to trust: Earned distrust is better than assumed incompetence.

Books Worth Reading

Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet - Great resource on empowering people at all levels of a team.
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman - Highlights the difference between leaders who amplify talent and those who diminish it.
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek - A reminder that great leadership starts with building safety and trust.