# How Managerial Authority Can Undermine Developer Empowerment and Productivity

DevFeed: [How Managerial Authority Can Undermine Developer Empowerment and Productivity](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/imperfect-4-39455.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://imperfect.substack.com/p/imperfect-4>)

Author: Pedro Gil Carvalho

Published: 2022-02-04T08:00:42Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Pedro Gil Carvalho](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/pedro-gil-carvalho.md>)

Topics: [Software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software.md>), [Job](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/job.md>)

Tags: [article](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/article.md>), [developers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developers.md>), [leadership](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/leadership.md>), [manager](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/manager.md>), [managerial-roles](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/managerial-roles.md>), [motivation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/motivation.md>), [performance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/performance.md>), [power](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/power.md>), [problems](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/problems.md>), [product](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/product.md>), [productivity](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/productivity.md>), [pull-request](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/pull-request.md>), [team](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/team.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion article argues that managers who rely too heavily on authority, including micromanaging approvals and imposing their own ideas, can disempower developers and reduce engagement, performance, and product delivery. It advocates servant leadership through clarity, enablement, and team empowerment.

## Source excerpt

More power, more problems