The most important leadership quality is to get out of the way. Most leaders feel that it is important to remain a constant presence in their employee’s work life. I disagree. Have a presence, yes, but get out of the way and let your people do what you pay them to do. People are far more capable than most companies give them credit for.
Early in my career, I had a manager come up to me and say, “Go home.” We were in an operating business that ran 365 days a year, was one of the highest grossing facilities in the country and had a clientele that demanded a level of detail unheard of most everywhere else. My first reaction was to say no. And, that was wrong. What the manager was trying to tell me was “I have this. Let me demonstrate the skills that you have taught me.” So, I did something that I had never done before; I handed over my keys and went radio silent. (I did not leave that first time, but I stepped back and did not interfere.) It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and changed me forever.
This manager had the confidence, the skills, and the determination to do the job that I had hired him to do. He was more than capable, and my presence was actually “de-skilling” his achievement. I was in his way of becoming a stronger, more autonomous manager. By allowing this to occur, I was not being the leader this manager needed. He needed me out of his way, so that he could soar. And, he did, does, and will continue to do.
From that moment on, I changed my entire approach to leadership. It is important for me to do my job by making others more autonomous, more capable, and more accountable. For the next decade since this experience, I approach each opportunity (consultant, contract, and full time) I have/had the same way; what can I do to remove the barriers to help people do their job without me in the way. My job is not to micro-manage and constantly interfere in their day. It is to skill them to do their job, my job, and propel them on their own career achievements.
Getting out of the way will bring untold advancements in the productivity, efficiency, and engagement of employees. People will feel more valued, have a larger stake in the outcomes, and provide for the long-term success of your organization.
I challenge you. I DARE you. Get out of the way and watch your people RISE.
Matt Eide, MA, PMP, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the Managing Principal Consultant at Paradigm Shift Consulting, LLC and specializes in executive coaching/communication, system/process implementations for employee maximization, and corporate governance. He has worked for clients in the fields of Retail, Real Estate, Private Equity, eCommerce, Vineyards, and Automotive Retailing.