On a short leash means being closely controlled or carefully watched by someone in authority. A person on a short leash is not given much freedom to act on their own.
The idiom is derived from the notion of walking a dog with a very short leash. When the leash is short, the dog must stay close to its owner and cannot run off.
The idiom is derived from the notion of walking a dog with a very short leash. When the leash is short, the dog must stay close to its owner and cannot run off.
After missing several deadlines, he was kept on a short leash by his manager.