How Founders Unintentionally Create ‘Permission Cultures,’ According to Christine Carrillo

In a recent LinkedIn post, Christine Carrillo, founder of Playbook, discusses how leaders can inadvertently train their teams to become overly reliant on them, hindering initiative and autonomy. Carrillo argues that constant availability and immediate problem-solving, while seemingly supportive, actually cultivates a ‘permission culture’ where employees feel they cannot make decisions independently.

Carrillo highlights a common scenario faced by founders and leaders:

“Every ping. Every ‘quick question.’ Every ‘just checking in.’ You think you’re being supportive. You’re training them to need you.”

This constant need for validation, Carrillo explains, stems from leaders’ well-intentioned but ultimately counterproductive responses. By immediately stepping in to answer questions like “Should I send this email?” or “Can I move forward with this?”, leaders send a subtle message that their team’s judgment is not trusted.

The Cost of Constant Intervention

Carrillo points out that this pattern, while often driven by a desire for efficiency or helpfulness, has significant long-term consequences. The immediate gratification of solving a problem quickly comes at the expense of developing the team’s problem-solving skills and confidence.

Undermining Initiative

As Christine Carrillo notes, the underlying message conveyed by constant intervention is detrimental to team growth:

“Every answer you give sends a message: ‘Don’t trust yourself. Wait for me.'”

This creates a cycle where employees become hesitant to act without explicit approval, fearing mistakes or disapproval. Carrillo emphasizes that true leadership involves fostering an environment where team members are empowered to think critically and make decisions, rather than simply executing instructions.

The ‘Permission Culture’ Trap

Carrillo identifies this dynamic as a ‘permission culture,’ where leaders inadvertently become bottlenecks. She explains the perceived benefits that lead founders down this path:

“You did it because answering felt faster. It felt easier. It felt like helping.”

However, Carrillo asserts that this approach is a false economy. While it might save time in the short term, it prevents the team from developing the autonomy and critical thinking skills necessary for scalable growth. The founder, in this scenario, remains indispensable for even minor decisions, preventing them from reclaiming their own time and focusing on strategic objectives.

Shifting Towards Autonomy

Christine Carrillo shares her personal journey in overcoming this leadership challenge, detailing the deliberate steps she took to foster independence within her team. This involved a conscious effort to resist the urge to provide immediate answers.

The Uncomfortable Transition

Carrillo recounts the initial difficulties of this shift:

“I stopped answering immediately. I started asking: ‘What would you do?’ I let them make calls I’d have made differently. I bit my tongue when I wanted to jump in.”

She acknowledges that this period was uncomfortable, marked by slower decision-making and deviations from her preferred methods. However, she stresses the importance of persevering through this phase to achieve a more empowered team dynamic.

The Reward of Empowered Thinking

The eventual outcome, according to Carrillo, is a team that takes ownership of their work and proactively seeks solutions rather than problems. This transformation frees up the leader’s time and allows the team to operate with greater confidence and effectiveness. Carrillo concludes by posing critical questions for leaders to consider:

• Do they know what they can decide without you?
• Are you rewarding initiative or punishing mistakes?
• Do you answer questions or teach them to solve?

Ultimately, Carrillo’s message is a call for leaders to shift their focus from providing answers to cultivating the thinking capacity of their teams, enabling them to lead more effectively and build a business that can thrive independently.