I’m a manager with no real power. How do I support my employees?

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Can a manager with no real power influence their team? Photo / 123rf
A stressed-out manager genuinely cares for their employees, ‘but the internal politics and lack of formal power make it tough to create real change’.

Q. I’m in a leadership role, managing big projects and mentoring staff, and I genuinely care about my team. I’m
working hard to support them and drive progress, but the internal politics and lack of formal power make it tough to create real change.

I often feel undervalued and isolated without a supervisor or peers at my level and I worry that I come across as high strung. I ruminate over decisions and struggle to sleep because I can’t stop worrying about making things smoother for my team and doing the right thing.
How can I build my confidence, handle the stress and navigate these challenges without burning out?
– Caring, But Powerless
Read more: Workplace stress: Why we need to tackle increasing pressure
A. Your feelings of powerlessness might be reinforcing your “high-strung” behaviours. You are turning to rumination, anxiety and potentially even micromanaging – all to give yourself a false sense of control. So, while your feelings of powerlessness may be rooted in systemic issues within your organisation, you should be honest with yourself about how you may be reinforcing these issues on your team.
You are only as good in your work and to your team as you are to yourself. If you burn out, you can’t be an advocate for your team. Accept your limitations and what you can and cannot control in the workplace. It’s important to find ways to feel empowered to support your team while being honest about what you can’t single-handedly change. Focusing on what your (realistic) role can be will help you feel less responsible for everything because the truth is: you are operating under the same system, with the same barriers. Be kind to yourself.
You may not have “formal power”, but there are other influential ways to be a managerial ally. For one, creating psychological safety for your staff is about transparency. How can you be more transparent about decision-making processes? You also want to offer various ways to receive feedback and be open to hearing from your team so they can be comfortable talking with you. Even if you can’t fix their problems, you can be a sounding board and nurture their autonomy to make informed decisions for themselves. Finally, you can advocate for your staff to the people who do have formal power. This may mean building relationships with others in your organisation and contributing your insights and proposing solutions to higher management when appropriate.
If you are overworking to compensate for your lack of power, incorporate more work-life balance into your week. Find tangible ways to improve your mental health and wellness in your daily life. Also, seek out support for yourself. There may be other supervisors in your organisation you can lean on who understand your dilemma. Or you may need to look outside your organisation and find mentors or support in professional organisations. Your own professional development can help you build confidence – especially with the unknown or limited “power” you do have.
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