The more _________ a leader can put into the hands of his or her subordinates, the better.

• A. control
• B. direction
• C. data
• D. guidance

Answer: (A)

Delegation and empowerment—giving decision-making authority to subordinates. The more control a leader puts into the hands of subordinates, the better, because it enables quick, context-sensitive action within clear guardrails. When people have control, they own outcomes, respond to local conditions, and learn by doing, which speeds learning and strengthens accountability. Data and guidance are valuable, but they don’t authorize action or ownership; direction keeps people aligned but can bottleneck progress if every move must be approved. So, granting control directly expands autonomy, initiative, and performance, as long as there are boundaries and clear expectations to guide responsible use.