Why autonomy isn't what you need after all

Reader,

For decades, the charge to leaders was—give people more autonomy. Without it, stress increases. With it, people can take initiative and responsibility for their work and their energy increases—all good things.

But autonomy can create real challenges if you're trying to succeed as a team. Let's unpack why.

The hope of autonomy.

Autonomy, at its core, is the ability to choose how you work—to self-govern your time and actions. Leaders encourage autonomy because they want people to make decisions, have a voice, and own their outcomes.

And team members do want more influence over their work. It seems like a win-win.

The downside of self-governance in a team.

But autonomy, by nature, is individualistic. And when it becomes the default, it often produces behaviors like:

• Everyone deciding for themselves what to do and why it matters.
• People keeping information to themselves and working alone.
• Individual action taking priority over collaboration.

When that happens, the very things that make a group of people a team—shared goals, alignment, and collaboration—start to break down.

"I've got it."

I learned this lesson early in my career. More than once, I found myself scrambling to meet a deadline, overwhelmed. And more than once, a colleague would offer to help.

Without even thinking, I’d quip, "I've got it." When clearly, I did not.

Why? Because in every environment I grew up in—school, church, family, and later work—being able to demonstrate "I’ve got this" mattered. A lot.

Chances are, you’ve felt this too. If you grew up in an individualistic culture, it’s ingrained. And if you grew up in a collectivist culture, you probably notice it in others.

Team requires more than autonomy.

Autonomy is great for individual success. But to succeed as a team, you need something far more collaborative and interconnected.

You need agency.

When you have agency, it’s no longer just, "We each self-govern and produce our own outcomes."

Instead, it becomes, "We each know what to do and why it matters, so our actions move us in the same direction."

When a team has a shared definition of excellent work, individual actions align and people succeed and celebrate together—instead of alone.

Agency bridges the gap.

Agency bridges the gap between individual and team by valuing:

• Independent action and shared priorities.
• Choosing your own methods and collaborating with others.
• Personal responsibility and responsibility to others.

Fostering agency.

Developing agency takes the same effort as fostering autonomy—it just requires different questions. Ask yourself and your team:

• What are we trying to accomplish together?
• Why does it matter for us to achieve this as a team?
• What is my part in this shared goal?
• What action can I take to help us get there?
• How can I do this in a way that helps us all succeed together?

This isn't just a behavior shift. It's a mindset shift. It's choosing to think about taking action in terms of "we" and "us", instead of "I" and "me".

A remedy for isolation, silos, and lost potential.

If your team feels disconnected, if collaboration isn't happening, or if underperformance is creeping in, there's a good chance autonomy is flourishing at the expense of team.

The reality? No one reaches their full potential alone.

To build a team that truly succeeds, replace autonomy with agency.

Become a champion of taking collaborative action for a shared purpose. And celebrate the success you achieve together.

Enjoy!

Sara

​http:www.potentialarena.com