Is this scene familiar to you? The boss walks through the office and says “Good morning” to people before closing his door until lunch. He walks back through the office after lunch saying “Good afternoon” to people before closing his door until he leaves the building at the end of the day. “See you tomorrow!”, he says cheerfully.

It may seem like a scene from “The Office” or a Dilbert cartoon. But unfortunately when I speak or consult with companies, this is a common scenario. The major source of interaction people have with their boss is through electronic communications. This is not leading!

You can’t lead from here!

They Need To See Me to Trust Me

I recently worked with a supervisor who had responsibilities spread out over multiple states. He felt he was not respected or trusted by the people he led.

When I asked him the last time he visited the operations areas he was supposed to be leading, his answer included all the other responsibilities he had at the office and at home that kept him from spending more time on the road.

A boss who is rarely seen, or is a faceless signature block at the end of an email is not going to be trusted by the people he is supposed to be leading. If the boss stays in his office, there is no way he can truly understand the current needs and the emerging situations his people are facing.

If I rarely leave my office, I will not be trusted to make the right decisions because my people will question my knowledge, my motives, and my work ethic. The idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder does not hold true when it comes to leadership. My presence is needed to build trust and respect.

Admin Can’t Come Before People

I am not leading if I am stuck in my office managing paperwork and emails. The administrative aspects of a leader’s job is hard to escape. However, if my admin duties are coming before leading people, I need to re-evaluate my priorities.

If I work in an office setting where my people are all in the same building or even the same city, everyday I must intentionally block time to leave my office and be seen. I must take time to interact with my people! I must coach them! I must lead them!

If I work in a setting where my subordinates are geographically spread out, I must block days on my schedule for regular visits. I must let them see me and get to know their challenges and their ideas. I must coach them! I must lead them!

The Bottom Line:

I cannot eliminate administrative responsibilities from my role as a leader. If I could, I would have done it decades ago! But, I cannot let admin overwhelm me and keep me from being seen by our people either!

The people I lead need to see me and know that I understand them and their circumstances if I want to be trusted and respected. If I never leave my office, I am not a leader. I may be a boss or a supervisor, but I am not a leader.

The old adage, “Leadership by walking around.” is bit of wisdom all of us need. We must be seen! They want to know we care more about them than we do our administrative duties. They want to know they have a leader, not just a professional emailer.

Question:

How often do you spend time with your people each week?

Dave Anderson is coauthor of Becoming a Leader of Character – Six Habits that Make or Break a Leader at Work and at Home with his father General James L. Anderson (USA Retired).

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