Where might my control be masquerading as protection in my parenting or leadership?

Almost certainly somewhere. Kris Kluver, in The Dysfunctional Family Office, asks founders to test this directly. Most controlling behavior toward adult kids gets framed as protection. The founder isn't intervening. They're protecting the kid from making a mistake. They aren't overriding decisions. They're sharing experience. They aren't withholding information. They're shielding the kid from worry. The reframe is comfortable for the founder and quietly damaging for the kid. The honest test is whether the protective behavior makes the kid more capable or more dependent over time. If the kid is increasingly able to handle situations on their own, you're protecting. If the kid is increasingly unable, you're controlling. Most founders find a mix when they look honestly. The fix isn't guilt. It's noticing in real time and choosing the harder option, which is usually letting the kid handle it.