Leadership Principle #36 – Tower Syndrome

You’ve worked hard to reach the highest office at your company and put in years of sacrifice and struggle to earn your chair in the corner office.  But now that you’re there, the most important thing I tell my clients is to get out of the office.  

Yes, you heard that right.  Getting out of the office is critical to your ability to remain in that office long-term.

What I have learned through my years as CEO and observed with others is the longer you are in that position of power, the more comfortable the office gets.  The tendency to create your own echo chamber within your office is real and dangerous.  You may believe you are controlling the situation, but in reality, what you are seeing and hearing is what others want you to see and hear.  It’s important to realize that people will manipulate what they present to you in order to reflect their own agendas, and very quickly you lose touch with employees, customers and the importance of the urgency of the situation.  

As a leader, you frequently need to ask yourself, “what is working and what is not working any longer?”  These questions are critical to your role as CEO in order to keep your company poised on the leading edge of success.  The best way to get answers is simple – you need to see, touch and feel the urgency of the situation by getting your boots on the ground.  This is how you’re able to change or verify any assumptions or decisions you have made -but you won’t get these answers by remaining in your office! 

Here's the bonus - getting boots on the ground and out of your office is great for morale.  By being highly visible and plugging into the lifeforce of the company, you are able to better motivate people to address the urgent issues at hand.  Just as a good military leader should be on the field with their soldiers, being in the trenches with your team members goes a long way to earning their loyalty.  Plus, you get the unfettered truth about the health of the organization this way.  There is no better reality check than getting out of your office! 

In business as in life, things aren’t always what they seem - people change, business circumstances change – and you need to see it.  Otherwise, you are limited just to the views and opinions of whoever is coming into your office and that is not a reliable way to assess what is happening on the ground floor.  In fact, not getting out of your office is a potential landmine.  Simply put, you are not allowed to live in the echo-chamber of your office if you want long-term health and success for your company and your career.

I help business leaders understand and avoid potential landmines like these every day through my CEO coaching program.  As someone who has been in these shoes, I can guide you through difficult career moves and be in your corner.  If you could benefit from a CEO coach, reach out today for a conversation.