In a recent LinkedIn post, Leanne Bridges explores the common phenomenon of managers acting on “autopilot,” leading to frustration for their teams. Bridges argues that managers often react habitually rather than thoughtfully, a pattern developed over years of consistent, unexamined responses.
“They’ve done it that way for years, so now it’s automatic,” Leanne Bridges writes. “They don’t decide to do it. They just do it.” This automaticity, she explains, is akin to driving a car – a process so ingrained it requires little conscious thought.
The Autopilot Trap in Management
Bridges highlights a specific scenario where a manager repeatedly seeks input on decisions they are capable of making independently. This behavior, she contends, stems not from a lack of capability but from underlying thought patterns rooted in fear or external pressure.
“If I get this wrong, it’s on me.”
“What will the boss think?”— Leanne Bridges
These internal dialogues, according to Bridges, drive the manager to seek validation even when they possess the necessary knowledge. The frustration experienced by the employee arises from the repetition of this pattern, as attempts to change the manager’s behavior through simple instruction often prove ineffective.
Addressing the Root Cause: Shifting Thinking, Not Just Knowledge
A key insight from Bridges’ post is the distinction between changing what someone *knows* and changing what they *do without thinking*. Simply telling a manager to stop a certain behavior, she argues, does not address the underlying drivers of that behavior.
“Telling someone changes what they know. It doesn’t change what they do without thinking,” Leanne Bridges emphasizes. To effectively break these ingrained habits, the focus must shift from the observable action (like checking in) to the cognitive process that precedes it.
A Practical Strategy for Intervention
Bridges proposes a practical strategy for employees to help managers break free from their autopilot mode. Instead of providing the expected answer or solution, she suggests asking the manager about their concerns regarding making the decision independently.
“Ask him what he was worried would happen if he’d just decided it himself. What he tells you is the thing that’s actually driving it.”
— Leanne Bridges
By uncovering the specific fears or anxieties that trigger the habitual reaction, individuals can begin to address the true source of the manager’s behavior. Bridges asserts that understanding and working on these underlying drivers, rather than the surface-level action, leads to more sustainable change.
Breaking Free from Autopilot
Leanne Bridges concludes by suggesting that many individuals operating on autopilot are not intentionally difficult but are simply unaware of their ingrained patterns. Identifying and addressing the root causes of these automatic responses can lead to faster and more significant behavioral shifts than previously thought possible.
“Most people aren’t being difficult. They’re capable. They’ve just been on autopilot so long they can’t see it themselves,” Bridges notes. Her analysis provides a framework for understanding and addressing ingrained managerial habits by focusing on the underlying thought processes rather than just the observable actions.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Leanne Bridges on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on June 21, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →