Autonomy at Work: Are you a Player or a Pawn?

Autonomy at Work: Players vs Pawns

We all create our own reality, whether we realise it or not. You simply select specific evidence in your experiences of others, or of a situation, as proof for your beliefs. It is usually done way below your conscious awareness and can help or hinder your ability to respond effectively, because no matter what your situation, you see yourself as either a Player or a Pawn. 

Your brain constantly analyses data and sends messages through neural pathways, many of which were formed long ago in different contexts. Perhaps when you were a teenager, in the playground at school or when you were initially rewarded or scolded for a particular behaviour as a toddler. 

Therefore in business leadership, autonomy plays a crucial role in how we perceive our circumstances. Some Managing Directors feel like Pawns, constrained by client demands, cash flow, or staff issues. Others see opportunities in every situation and recognise that even doing nothing is a choice – they know they are Players. 

The Role of Dodgy Neurochemicals in Decision-Making 

Feeling like a Pawn has little to do with seniority and everything to do with perception. Many people feel trapped at work, dictated to, or forced into actions they don’t want to take. When I remind them that leaving is always an option, their body language often shifts – shoulders relax, tension fades, they let out a deep sigh and regain a sense of control. This shift reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin, allowing for clearer thinking and creative problem-solving. 

Why Autonomy Is a Fundamental Human Need 

Choice is a fundamental human need. Neuroscientist Steve Maier’s research at the University of Colorado shows that stress becomes destructive only when it feels uncontrollable. When people perceive they have some control over a situation, the same stress becomes far less harmful or debilitating.  

In situations where our perception of autonomy is thwarted, the brain perceives it as a ‘Primary Threat,’ activating the limbic system (the old mammalian brain). When this happens, you are no longer rational. You view the world as very threatening and dangerous, you become very defensive, pessimistic and make ‘accidental connections’—assumptions based on interpretations rather than reality. 

Empowering Your Team Through Autonomy 

Seeing yourself as a Player rather than a Pawn is empowering because it restores autonomy. Even the perception of autonomy reduces stress and increases status, unlocking benefits like improved creativity, intelligence, and longevity. 

Now consider your management style: 

• Do you foster autonomy for your team or diminish it?

• Is your behaviour making them feel like a Player or a Pawn?

• Do you help them see options and make choices, or do you dictate how things should be done?

The more you control your team, then the less autonomy they will have. The less autonomy they have, the more stressed, disengaged and demotivated they will become.    

A Cornell University study of 320 small businesses found that those granting workers autonomy grew four times faster and had one-third the staff turnover compared to control-oriented firms. 

Creating Autonomy: Practical Steps for Business Leaders 

Many managers complain that employees don’t ‘take responsibility.’ Responsibility means having the autonomy to make decisions about how work is organised or progressed. Neuroscience shows that autonomy is fundamental for positive motivation because it triggers dopamine and serotonin release—hormones linked to happiness and reduced stress. 

Autonomy is so powerful because by making choices we increase our ability to respond and adapt. This has important implications for performance at work. 

To promote autonomy in your team, you may want to consider: 

• The task: – E.g. consider job swapping, so people can see their tasks from a different perspective and make choices about how they can adapt in order to help others. 

• Time: – E.g. ask them to estimate and measure the reality of how long things take and ask for suggestions for what will make it more efficient and effective. 

• Technique: – E.g. ask for their ideas about how to improve the way things are done. 

• Team: – E.g. consider setting up small teams of volunteers from across the business to explore problems and come up with solutions. 

Becoming Alert to Autonomy Triggers 

Success in leadership requires managing your brain effectively by recognising when reduced autonomy triggers a sense of threat. Becoming more alert to these feelings allows you to reframe them as signals from your mammalian brain rather than reality. 

For stressed or defensive employees, help them see their choices and increase their perception of autonomy. Raising awareness enables more thoughtful responses instead of reactive behaviours driven by neurochemical surges and old emotional triggers. 

By cultivating self-awareness and mindfulness, leaders can adopt a better way of thinking about their thinking—key traits for effective leadership today.  

To help cultivate self-awareness and mindfulness, check out these two basic relaxation meditations, which have been recorded with an ambient soundscape.  

The 10 minute version is available here.   

The 20 minute version is available here. 

If you would like more choice about identifying your strategic priorities, complete our Clarity Matrix™ Scorecard. It only takes 3 minutes and you get instant feedback and tips about what you can do next. There are also a number of free Guides to help you improve your scores on the Services pages of our website. 

You can also get in touch at info@talent4performance.co.uk to arrange a no-obligation call to discuss your needs.   

Remember when it comes to Autonomy . . . Stay Curious! 

With best regards 

David Klaasen   

©David Klaasen 2016-2025