The posters on the wall said all the right things:
Innovate. Creativity. Fail Forward. Empowerment.
We were told we had freedom.
Autonomy was the new ideal.
Leaders professed our new enlightened culture.
Yet, I didn’t believe them.
This so-called freedom felt like a two-ton weight tied to my ankle.
I didn’t feel innovative or creative.
I felt trapped.
It wasn’t my abilities I doubted.
It was the environment.
One wrong move, one bold opinion too far, and I could find myself on the outside looking in.
Technically, I had been granted freedom.
But, I hadn’t accepted it.
I was afraid.
But it wasn’t courage I needed.
To Be Free, We Need More Than Courage
In my last post (Let People Run… F.A.R.), I referenced a framework for empowerment built around freedom, alignment and responsibility. Today, I want to dig into the first of those: freedom.
In modern management culture, autonomy is hardly a novel concept. The benefits of freedom in the workplace are widely known – and I’ve long believed in granting it to unlock the best of our teams.
So, when I became a first-time CEO, I made freedom a pillar of our culture. I saw it as the key that would unlock our collective success.
I launched a “freedom campaign” loudly and enthusiastically. I counseled my executive team, empowered managers, and encouraged employees to speak up, take initiative, and stretch beyond their roles. I even hung posters that urged people to Share Their Voice.
I was proud to grant these freedoms.
But to my surprise, they landed with a deafening silence.
No sudden surge of bold ideas.
No wave of ownership.
No meaningful change.
I felt like a hero defeating the forces of evil to liberate prisoners — only to find no one rushing to the gates.
Just ambivalence.
I was bewildered. Frustrated.
And then, stubbornly, I began to realize the truth.
I had offered freedom.
But freedom wasn’t accepted.
What was Holding Everyone Back?
That’s when I thought about my own experiences years earlier.
What was it that had held me back?
Not a lack of permission.
Not a lack of opportunity.
A lack of trust.
At first, I thought fear was the issue.
I certainly felt afraid.
Fear is a convenient scapegoat – it’s wired into our DNA.
But what was I to do with my fear?
Was I to simply listen to the glib posters telling me Be Brave or Have Courage? While being brave and swallowing my fear may work in sporadic situations, courage can only be used intermittently.
I needed a more sustainable answer.
That answer came from an unexpected interaction.
Not long after launching my “freedom campaign”, a group of – let’s call them “disenchanted”- employees asked to meet with me. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was eager to listen.
We sat down and they immediately launched into their first question that caught me flat-footed.
“Do you know our names?”
That was it.
Not What’s the company’s mission?
Not How will we be evaluated?
Just that – did I know their names?
It hit me like a brick.
A simple question – loaded with meaning.
This wasn’t a Zoom call with names displayed. No name tags. No cheat sheets. Just a conference room.
Why were they asking?
They weren’t testing my memory.
They were asking if they mattered.
They were asking if I could be trusted.
Fortunately, I did know their names. And, I’ll never forget the surprise I saw on their faces.
Body language softened.
Eyes widened.
In that moment, I realized the problem.
I had granted them freedom – but I hadn’t earned their trust.
I had naively assumed trust.
They didn’t feel safe.
They didn’t feel seen.
However painful that was to realize, it was liberating.
I had found the key to unlocking the power of freedom.
Trust.
Trust: The Bridge Between Fear and Freedom
Trust is a concept easily learned, but impossible to master.
Like fear, trust is deeply rooted in our DNA.
We want to be trusted.
We thrive when we’re trusted.
It gives us confidence, safety, and the courage to take risks.
But when trust is absent, fear thrives.
And when fear thrives, freedom gets blocked.
Once I started focusing on building trust – actively listening, connecting with people and earning their confidence – everything started to shift.
More discussions. More bold ideas.
More energy and engagement.
And, most importantly, freedom was finally being accepted.
Key Takeaway: Freedom Offered is Not Freedom Accepted.
Freedom is a powerful catalyst for creativity and growth – but only when it’s embraced.
We often assume the barriers to freedom are external: policies, bosses, systems.
And, as I did, we rejoice in removing those barriers.
We set people free.
But when freedoms are granted to us, do we feel liberated…
or do we feel the weight of freedom?
If freedom feels heavy, it’s because we are afraid.
To overcome the fear, we need more than courage, we need trust.
Trust in others and, even more importantly, trust in ourselves.
Freedom doesn’t feel real without trust.
But with trust, freedom can be accepted.
And that’s when we become free.
