I guess it depends on where you are in the company. I have been under two different managers since I joined 7 years ago, and they both keep their employees on a relatively loose leash. As long as the required work gets done in an orderly fashion, we get to choose our own pacing and attack angles. Makes for a pleasant work experience most of the time.

Then again, I guess I value stability and predictability in my day job a bit more than most Silicon Valley startup employees.