Is Trust an Issue?

I used to take motorcycle trips with coworkers. On one such trip we were gone for a week. Among the individuals I was traveling with one was a Vice President of a division, and another the President of the company. This was a vacation, a time away.

While we all had things going on back at the office that we felt responsible for and needed to stay on top of, we still needed some down time to recharge our batteries. What stands out in my memory is the difference in the amount of time the two above mentioned individuals spent on the phone during the week.

Every stop, every evening, every spare moment it seemed was an opportunity for the VP to be on the phone with his direct reports. On the other hand, there was a President of a corporation who, while needing to handle some issues, spent the majority of his time enjoying his ride and his week. What was the difference?

There are some personality types (information we can get in to some other time!) who feel if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself. They don't want anything done without their knowledge and/or approval. Do you know this person? Are you one of them?

If we cannot get away from the office without someone constantly calling us, what have we created? If we have hired the right person and they know their job, why can't we just get out of their way and let them do it? Do we not trust them? Are we fearful of not getting some kind of credit for being involved in every single decision? How does this impact your work/life balance? Willing to share your thoughts on this one?