I was working with a business owner recently who was complaining that he didn’t know about something that was happening in his business. His consternation highlighted a leadership truth that many leaders don’t realize: the higher you go, the less you know!
For various reasons, the more senior a leader is, the less he or she knows about what is going on in their organization. That’s not to say they aren’t well versed in the day-to-day operation of the company, or that they don’t have a broader view than subordinates. But, the more senior a leader is, the less likely he or she is to know about things like personnel issues, problems in subordinate divisions, small issues with suppliers (before they become big issues you do learn about) and the host of other things that you used to be aware of when you were in a more junior position.
I first learned this lesson when I was in the Air Force. A person in my squadron, call him Nick, had come to me seeking counsel concerning a medical procedure. The procedure involved major neural surgery and therefore entailed a high level of risk, but doctors had told him that there was also a high probability of success. The surgery was necessary, but could have been delayed for several years. He came to me a week or so before the surgery, thanked me for listening to his concerns, and said he felt pretty good about his decision to do the surgery and would see me afterwards. The doctors later told me the surgery was uneventful and they don’t know why he died in recovery. After the funeral, I was speaking with several of his co-workers when one of them mentioned that Nick did not think his chances were good and he most likely would not survive the surgery. I was shocked! I mentioned that he had told me the opposite and they said Nick had told me that because he felt I had enough to worry about and didn’t need to be concerned about him. I’ve never forgotten that lesson. While that particular case was a bit extreme, I began to observe that there were other things I didn’t know or mistakenly believed. Reflecting on that, I also realized there were things I kept from my boss as well. I believe there are three reasons subordinates keep the boss in the dark.
- Subordinates sometimes feel the boss is too busy for a particular issue. They believe they can handle it and the boss doesn’t need to be bothered with it. That’s often true.
- Subordinates do not want the boss to feel they can’t handle a particular situation and so are reluctant to reveal the issue.
- Subordinates fear the boss’ reaction to the problem, either because the boss has a volatile temper, or because the subordinate knows that additional work will stem from the boss’s knowledge of the situation.
As I observed my own situation, I realized there really was a lot going on that I didn’t have knowledge of and that this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. But, like all parts of a leader’s job, this required a little management on my part. In fact, as a leader progresses to higher and more responsible levels, it becomes impossible to know everything and subordinates are actually correct in shielding you from a lot of the day-to-day things that happen in an organization. But who could determine what was important for me and what wasn’t? Of course that’s not a perfect science, but there are a couple of techniques that make it a little easier.
- Surround yourself with good subordinate leaders, and be open and honest with them about their responsibilities and how you expect them to carry out those responsibilities.
- Give those subordinate leaders a high level of trust and let them do their jobs. You need them to handle many things you really don’t have time for.
- Resist the temptation to ceremoniously remove heads when things don’t go quite the way you want them to. It may be momentarily satisfying to disembowel a subordinate over some infraction or problem, but the long-term result is a gun-shy subordinate less likely to be open the next time a situation develops.
If you’re a leader, there is probably a lot going on that you aren’t really aware of. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it is something you need to understand and manage. Pick good leaders, train them well, and hold them accountable. They can lead their areas and you’ll sleep a little better at night knowing that what you don’t know probably won’t hurt you.
Bob Mason is dedicated to leadership development. He works with companies to solve problems by helping supervisors and managers become more effective leaders leading more productive teams. He is a professional speaker and author of Don’t Worry, You Can Do This: What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership; The Art of Not Motivating: How Leaders Can Succeed by Understanding the True Nature of Motivation; Balancing the Generations: A Leader’s Guide to the Complex, Multi-Generational, 21st Century Workplace; and Planning to Excel: Strategic Planning That Works.
A 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force exposed him to great leaders and leadership opportunities such as command of four squadrons, including the Air Force’s largest munitions squadron. He has studied leadership extensively, but more importantly has been there, working with real people, making hard decisions, and experiencing the results.
Contact Bob at Bob@BobMasonSpeaker.com or 505-453-5266
