A disappearing leader is a bad thing, right?
Well … maybe.
And maybe not.
There are two basic principles involved.
First, leaders should, obviously, be available for their people. They should listen to what their people are saying, what they need, what’s working, what’s not.
Second, when a leader delegates and doesn’t disappear, that’s a problem. That’s micromanagement.
Obviously, there’s a fine line to walk. If you delegate and whoosh, disappear completely, you’ve violated the first principle. You still need to be available for questions and status updates. Without that, you leave your team stranded, possibly having to make decisions they’re not qualified or authorized to make, potentially making mistakes because they didn’t fully understand what you’ve asked them to do.
But if you delegate and then hover, you’re violating the second principle. And that creates resentment, doesn’t give space for your team to learn and grow, and undercuts any sense of autonomy or agency they may have. And that sense of autonomy, of having some control over what they do, how they do it, and even when they do it, is a big factor in employee satisfaction and engagement – and success.
You need to be sure your team is equipped with the relevant knowledge, context, and resources to do the tasks and projects you delegate to them.
But don’t hover … and don’t ghost.
Speaking of ghosting (and yes, I’m about to get political), have you noticed that certain members of Congress are ghosting their constituents?
I hope you’re not ghosting your own right to have a say in how our government runs the country. Because we are a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” as Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg address.
Show up. Call your Congresspeople. Email them if you hate phone calls. Not sure how to reach them? Try the “Find Your Member” site. Or get the app 5Calls.
Just don’t … disappear.