hands-off manager; figurehead supervisor
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
a person who only gives orders to others but does no work themselves; a hands-off manager
derogatoryDescribes a superior who delegates all tasks to subordinates while remaining idle, often carrying a negative connotation of laziness.
As a manager, he is a complete hands-off leader, pushing all tasks onto his subordinates.
As a leader, one cannot be a do-nothing supervisor; you must personally participate in the work.
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The boss of this company is a hands-off manager who is never seen all year round.
noun
a nominal supervisor who holds a title without taking responsibility or doing any work; a figurehead
derogatoryRefers to someone who holds an official position purely nominally, without engaging in actual management or assuming any duties, often implying criticism of empty titles.
He is just a figurehead for this project; we are the ones actually doing the work.
This department needs a leader who gets things done, not a nominal supervisor.
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Don't be impressed by his many titles; in fact, he is a figurehead everywhere and doesn't properly manage anything.