How do I stop over-controlling every meeting I run?

You prepare every detail, script the flow, and steer hard to keep it on track. It looks like diligence, and some of it is. But when a meeting has to go exactly to your plan, it stops being a meeting and becomes a performance you direct. The people in the room feel it, and they hold back, because there is no room left for them. The frustration you feel when things drift is worth listening to. It is telling you that you have confused control with quality. A good meeting is not one that follows your outline. It is one where the right things get said, even the ones you did not plan for. The deviations you resent are often where the real work happens. So next time, plan less and leave gaps on purpose. Bring two or three questions instead of a full script, and let the room fill the space. When someone takes it somewhere you did not expect, follow for a while before you steer back. You are not losing control of the meeting. You are giving it back to the people it belongs to.