"Managerial ventriloquism" is a common practice in the health & case sector. It's where leaders mention others (often those in higher authority) when they ask people to do things. Eg, "the Regional Office needs this by the close of play" or "the Director says we have to do this".
Over time, a culture builds where:
A) managers speak for others too frequently, undermining their own credibility &
B) responsibility keeps being passed to someone else, with no one willing to take ownership of decisions.
This article sets out research-based tactics for leaders to own their own words & build their own agency & that of their teams:
sloanreview.mit.edu/article/… By David Hollis & Alex Wright
@mitsmr