[etripe]

What you're describing is leadership, just not the popular style. To put terms to it, you weren't doing Taylorist command and control, you were doing servant leadership.

In my opinion, yours is the only sane way to lead. With command and control, all you would be doing is creating the illusion of control, providing no actual added value. If your leadership style is adversarial, you're stimulating your employees to see you as a liability.