My team want progression. Why won't managers let go?
My team want progression. Why won't managers let go?
The short answer: managers usually hold on because they are accountable for the result, mistakes in agencies are expensive, and checking feels like the responsible thing to do. Nobody may have shown them what handing over well looks like, or which decisions they're allowed to pass down. The result is a team asking "Where's my progression?" while their managers say "If we don't check it, it doesn't get done properly." The fix is to agree standards rather than methods, hand over ownership in stages, and change how the managers themselves are led.
Two sides of the same problem
It's one of the most common tensions I hear about in agencies. People further down are ambitious and ready for more. The managers above them are stretched, yet they keep checking, correcting and taking work back. Both sides are frustrated, and both have a point.
Career progression is a real concern for agency staff. It came up in the Alliance of Independent Agencies' 2026 People Pulse, a survey of 855 people across 61 UK independent agencies. When progression stalls, the people with the most potential are often the first to look elsewhere.
Why managers hold on
Mistakes cost money. When I first started in this industry, someone told me that any mistake you make will cost a lot of money. So you will only make that mistake once. It stayed with me, and it's true. Managers who have felt that cost are understandably cautious about letting someone else make the call.
They are judged on the result. If the client complains, it lands on the manager. Checking everything feels like protection.
Nobody showed them how. Most agency managers were promoted because they were excellent at the work. Handing it over well is a different skill, and it is rarely taught.
They don't know what they're allowed to hand over. If it isn't clear which decisions can move down, keeping hold of them is the safe option.
They are being checked too. If a manager's own director regularly overrules or redoes their work, they will tend to do the same to the people below them.
What it costs
The managers stay overloaded and have little time to lead. The people below them stop developing and start looking for progression somewhere else. And the agency keeps depending on a small group of people for everything that matters.
How to make room for progression
Agree the standard, not the method. Be clear about what good looks like and let people find their own way there. Most over-checking is really about method.
Hand over in stages. Start with decisions that have clear limits and real consequences, then widen them as judgement grows.
Ask for the recommendation first. Before a manager gives their answer, they ask for the team member's view and reasoning.
Review afterwards, not before. Talk through what happened once the decision is made, including when it went well.
Lead the managers differently. Back their decisions, so they can afford to back their own teams.
How Above the Line helps
The Above the Line approach I use recognises that the line moves with the role. For an Account Manager, leading Above the Line might mean anticipating issues and owning their client work. For an Account Director, it might mean developing the people beneath them rather than redoing their work. It helps managers see when checking is a considered choice and when it has become a habit, and it gives the team a shared language for progression that isn't only about job titles.
Frequently asked questions
What if quality drops when managers let go? It might, briefly, while people learn. That's why ownership is handed over in stages, with clear standards and a review afterwards. Over time, quality tends to become more consistent, because more people understand what good looks like.
How do I know someone is ready for more responsibility? Look at how they handle decisions with clear limits. If they bring a sensible recommendation and their reasoning, they're usually ready for the next step.
Does progression have to mean promotion? Not always. Owning a client relationship, leading a project or making decisions that used to sit above them can be real progression, and people feel the difference.
If this sounds familiar
If your team is asking about progression and your managers are stretched too thin to give it, I'd be glad to talk it through. Get in touch.
Suzy Malhotra is the founder of The Leadership Line, which works with founders, MDs and senior teams in creative, events, experiential and exhibition agencies when responsibility needs to move. She co-founded and ran 4D Design, an exhibition and events agency, for nearly thirty years.
