I had an interesting conversation about an organizational leader who does not like to “get in the weeds.” He was being praised for staying out of the details and focusing instead on the bigger picture.
While there are many advantages to this style, our conversation also highlighted the downside of such detachment. Apparently, there are personnel and process issues occurring in the organization and he is seemingly unaware of them. Because he is not directly involved in operations, he doesn’t appear to know when things are being missed or when issues are arising between staff.
It’s rare that leaders, even the top dog, are responsible only for strategy. At some point, implementation and evaluation fall under their purview as well. Don’t stay so focused on the future that you fail to see what’s happening on a daily basis. Strike that balance between micromanaging and not managing at all.
