CEO shares a 'very dangerous' red flag in a boss—it makes employees feel like they 'signed up for a false promise'

Having a hands-off boss can sound attractive, until they exhibit some red flags.

The upside is clear. Chill bosses don't micromanage. They give their employees autonomy and create a sense of freedom and flexibility at work. Thirty-eight percent of employees say they value a hands-off management style, according to an October report from HR software provider BambooHR.

But some hands-off managers are far too passive, says Fineas Tatar, co-CEO of Viva Talent, a business that connects remote executive assistants with CEOs and other executives. "Passive leadership, to me, is when leaders avoid hard decisions," says Tatar, whose job involves working with a variety of people managers across multiple industries.

"They delay feedback and naively think that things are going well because they seem busy but aren't truly productive ... Having passive leadership disguised [as] autonomy, I think, is very dangerous."

Being hands-off isn't inherently bad. Some employees perform best when working autonomously. Many have earned some self-direction through consistent results. Good bosses know when to empower their employees that way, says Tatar.

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But a manager can create problems by going hands-off for reasons that have nothing to do with their workers' success, he says: "That mindset permeates their behavior across direction, check-ins, guidance, etc." Three problems can arise when a manager takes an unnecessary backseat, Tatar adds:

Of workers who quit their jobs in 2024, 33% left because of a lack of constructive feedback and 34% left due to lack of recognition, according to the BambooHR report, which surveyed 1,500 full-time salaried employees in the U.S.

"It's negative across all fronts," Tatar says. "Because when folks don't feel supported — when they don't feel like they have that guidance — they feel like they signed up for a false promise."

You may feel inclined to write off a passive boss as a bad boss, but they may have too much on their plate to give their direct reports individualized attention, and that's not necessarily their fault, says Tatar. If you see your manager starting to turn into a passive leader, try communicating more directly with them about your needs, he says.

You could inform them on how you'd prefer to receive feedback, for example, or that you'd like more guidance and support about a specific part of your work as you vie for a promotion. These conversations are "uncomfortable," but necessary for your professional success, says Tatar.

If you have recurring meetings with your boss, you can use them to do a "pulse check," he adds. Ask how they're doing, how they feel about the work you and your team are doing and bring up any concerns you may have, says Tatar.

Tatar advises leaders to do self check-ins, too. "Get a pulse check on yourself. Like, [on a scale of one to five] 'Where am I today? ... Do I still have a strong why for being here? Am I still bought into the mission? How is my personal life? How's my work life?'" he says. Then, pick the lowest scores and tackle those problems first, he says.

"Everybody can do that starting tomorrow," he adds.

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