You Can Always Pull Rank. Should You?

It’s 4:45 on a Thursday and a deadline is looming. Your team is already stretched, and someone needs to pick up a piece of work nobody wants.

You could have a conversation about it, or you could just assign it.

Most of the time, assigning it feels like the responsible choice. It’s fast, clear and as the leader, you have every right to make the call.

The quiet appeal of position power

As a team leader, you have the authority to assign the work. You’re accountable for the quality of the work produced in your team and for the decisions that get made. Having authority isn’t a problem. It is a natural and inherent aspect of a role.

The problem is how easy it is to lean on that positional power, especially when time is scarce, the pace is fast, and workloads are heavy. Pulling rank becomes a tempting shortcut. It gets the task assigned and the conversation over with and it works, at least on the surface. However, here’s a question worth asking – What does it cost you when “because I said so” quietly becomes your default?

Inno Versity Presents Greatness by David Marquet - Trimmed

What happens when a leader with significant authority decides to stop giving orders? When Captain David Marquet took command of one of the lowest-performing submarines in the US Navy, he did exactly that, and his crew went from waiting for instructions to taking ownership. It’s worth watching if you’ve ever wondered what your team could do if you pulled rank a little less.

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When was the last time you gave a directive to a team member? What do you recall was happening for you in that moment?

Many leaders will “tell” instead of involve a team member because something is under strain. It often happens when short on time or expecting pushback and don’t have the energy for it. It can also come up when we feel uncertain, unprepared, or are under pressure from our own boss. Think about some of those moments you’ve experienced and get curious about what you were feeling. Frustration, pressure, impatience, worry about getting it wrong, or simply being tired can impact how you show up in the moment.

Be honest about what you notice and consider if there’s a pattern there. Is there a circumstance such as a certain kind of situation, a certain reporting relationship, or a type of work when directives become more likely? Once you become more aware of the circumstances that activate this controlling behavior, you have more options. You might notice the moment as it arrives and pause to ask, “Is this a time I truly need to make the call, or am I just trying to get this over with?”

Consider one small thing you could do differently next time those moments show up. Perhaps it’s asking a question first to get the other person’s views on the work being assigned. Maybe it’s setting an intention to not rush. Small shifts in team interactions are how influence becomes the way you actually lead.

Leadership doesn’t have to be so hard.

If you’re looking for ways to make the hard parts easier, including clearer communication, stronger relationships, and less friction, we’ve gathered some of our most practical, ready-to-use tools in one place.

Head to our resource library and explore what’s there for you and your team.

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