Closet clerk: A manager with zero authority

I work for a medium-sized organization. I feel bad for our department manager who has no authority to approve even small purchases like staplers. He told us that all disbursements, regardless of amount, must be approved by the chief executive officer (CEO). The trouble is that our manager appears unbothered by the situation. What can we do? — White Lotus.

- REY ELBO

In most organizations, the word manager implies decision-making authority and autonomy — qualities essential to leadership. Yet, in some companies, managers become mere coordinators, or as I call them, closet clerks or “glorified messengers.”

When they lack even basic approval power, it’s not just inconvenient — it’s a fundamental breakdown of real management responsibility.

When that happens, the manager title starts to feel like a cruel joke. Dig deeper and you'll find a quiet, corrosive force at play — one that undermines productivity, damages morale, and erodes credibility, like what you're feeling now.

A policy meant to save pennies can, in fact, undermine an organization’s effectiveness. Lost time, wasted energy, and damaged manager credibility often cost much more than any savings on office supplies. Over-controlling spending at this level signals a much larger issue: systemic distrust and inefficiency.

Organizations often centralize disbursements in the name of control. When taken to extremes, the policy flips into dysfunction. If a manager needs permission to buy pens, the system has crossed from prudent governance into bureaucratic farce.

It signals a deeper cultural message: people don’t trust their managers.

When the workers see their boss powerless to authorize buying a box of paper clips, the unspoken question arises: if he’s not authorized to make small decisions, how can I trust him with big ones?