Don’t Call It A Command & Control Come Back
What today’s leaders do under pressure will define whether tomorrow’s teams stay—or quietly leave.
Back in January, I wrote: Ignore These 5 Predictions at Your Peril: The Tectonic Shifts Shaping the Next Decade of Work. One of the trends was the rapidly shifting relationship between employers and employees—and the quiet but powerful expectations shaping it.
In the future, top talent will no longer tolerate rigid work structures or hierarchical decision-making that limits their autonomy. Instead, they will gravitate toward companies that offer purpose-driven environments, flexibility, and alignment with personal values. The companies that succeed will be those that adapt quickly, building cultures where employees feel connected to the mission—not just the paycheck.
That shift is no longer theoretical. It’s happening in real time.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal spotlighted a series of moves in the article, ‘Everybody’s Replaceable’: The New Ways Bosses Talk About Workers; from major companies responding to economic pressure. Statements like, “Work-life balance is your problem” were quoted. Sabbaticals pushed out. Hiring slowed unless AI can’t do the job. Performance reminders that feel more like ultimatums.
These aren’t surprising. Businesses are recalibrating. But here’s a truth I see: how companies navigate hard times will shape what kind of culture they rebuild when the pressure lifts.
And employees may not leave immediately; but they won’t forget. These are the moments that either reinforce belief… or quietly erode it. Said one CEO, ““This is a risk we decided to take.””
The MORE Effect Response
Here’s what I believe:
Tough times shouldn’t just tighten operations. They should strengthen people.
But that kind of resilience doesn’t come from pressure alone. It comes from clarity. From consistency. From care.
Let’s walk it through The MORE Effect lens:
Mindfulness & Mastery
Emotional Intelligence in these moments shines. Share as much of the “why” behind decisions in plain language, with compassion, being mindful that uncertainty impacts performance. If the business is tightening, show what that protects: long term sustainability, growth, customer loyalty, not just what it cuts.
Optimism & Opportunity
Invest in skills, not just savings. Let hard times be the reason your people grow—through learning, experimentation, and adaptability. It’s one thing to say AI or else, it’s entirely another to give training and support to help adoption.
Relationships & Responsibility
This is when trust is tested. When transparency matters most. When managers become mirrors: either reflecting fear or reinforcing belief.
Execution & Effectiveness
Don’t just measure productivity. Track how people feel doing the work during hard, uncertain times. Emotional equity is your leading indicator of whether your best people will stay when the market opens back up.
One More Truth
There was a time for command and control.
This isn’t it.
We live in a trust economy now—where clarity, care, and consistency outperform fear every time. This is the season to lead with emotional intelligence, not ego. To build not just back, but forward. It’s a strategic risk for employers to unnecessarily yield power over the Gen Y and Gen Z generations. Even Gen X will question alignment of principles, however for many the personal risk is far too high to do anything but follow the commands.
So here’s your reflective questions for this week:
- Are you building a team that can simply survive the moment… or one that’s being shaped to thrive beyond it?
- Are you building resilience being honest?
- Are you shaping a team capable of navigating troubled waters?
- Or are you turning them against you with command and control?
Because when the next chapter starts—your people will remember this one.
Be well,
Jeremy
P.S. I don’t write these pieces to criticize. I write them because I care deeply about where leadership is headed—and what we might miss if we only reach for what’s worked in the past.
The legacy of command-and-control leadership shaped much of corporate America. But that model doesn’t serve us in the always-on trust economy. If we ignore the emotional cost of our decisions today, we may find ourselves rebuilding belief tomorrow.
This isn’t about being soft. It’s about being real. And leading forward, not back.
About Jeremy
Jeremy Victor is a father, coach, and senior executive in the digital health industry. He writes about leadership, emotional intelligence, and the modernization of work in the AI-first, always-on economy. His mission: help people—and the systems they work in—Become More. Join Jeremy online at his Substack: Business at the Speed of AI, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, OneMORE Minute.