How to Avoid Being a Superficial Leader

in Management by Emily Snell

How to Avoid Being a Superficial Leader

Editor’s Note: This post is part of the “Leadership Presence” series, a weeklong effort co-hosted by Switch & Shift and the good people at CEO.com. Keep track of the series here and check our daily e-mail newsletter for all posts. Don’t subscribe? Sign up.

Want to lead? Then you need to be credible. Your team needs to understand that you know what is going on. No one respects a leader that appears superficial, or that shows himself as disconnected from what is really going on.

That means when something new comes along, a new tool or process or product, you need to dive in to understand it. Hands on. Several layers deep. Only then will you know what matters for this team. And only then will they perceive you as a leader that brings them real value.

Equally important? Zooming out. As quick as you are into the detail of that new area, get out. Interact with the team involved to make sure they understand what is important and why. And then leave them to it.

By constantly zooming in and zooming out leaders not only become credible, they understand the level of detail that helps them do the real jobs of leadership—setting direction, connecting teams and enabling employees. Without several layers of detail, you have no way to get beyond being superficially strategic.

About the Author

Emily Snell

Emily is a contributing marketing author at ChamberofCommerce.com where she regularly consults on content strategy and overall topic focus. Emily has spent the last 12 years helping hyper growth startups and well-known brands create content that positions products and services as the solution to a customer's problem.

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