To me this is a key change in a direct reports development.
When they first start they need to be told what tasks to do; then they develop to asking for permission to do tasks that find or know need to be done; and finally they are telling me they are doing a task so I know we are going in the right direction. These changes give much better autonomy within the team and I am know longer the blocker to progress. It also means I can get on and do more interesting tasks myself while working with the junior members of the team.
> finally they are telling me they are doing a task so I know we are going in the right direction
Yes, but. :)
Assume a high-profile open source project where your direct report is a maintainer. The higher-profile the project is, the more political it becomes, of course. Your report will not need your (= the manager's) input on technical decisions; instead, they will inform you (in the optimal case) of where things have been heading. However, if that maintainer also participates in community governance -- which is quite likely --, they won't be able to avoid decisions that are more political than technical in nature. And whatever they decide there may easily reflect on their employer or client, one way or another. That kind of stuff is something that they should consult you on, regardless of their technical seniority.
When they first start they need to be told what tasks to do; then they develop to asking for permission to do tasks that find or know need to be done; and finally they are telling me they are doing a task so I know we are going in the right direction. These changes give much better autonomy within the team and I am know longer the blocker to progress. It also means I can get on and do more interesting tasks myself while working with the junior members of the team.