As a new leader, I used to believe that every interaction with my team needed to have a purpose.
I didn’t truly understand that visible leadership had to be without an agenda!
If I was in the field with them, it felt like I needed to be coaching them, monitoring their safety practices, helping them resolve an issue, or reinforcing procedures. Heck, I even have monthly audits and de-risking paperwork that I have to fill out as part of my job expectations.
However, over time, I have come to realize that some of the most meaningful and relationship-building moments I have had with my team have had none of those elements.
Have you ever had a leader who only showed up when a task was at hand?
Many leaders fall into the habit of only engaging their teams when they have clear reasons to do so. Whether those reasons are auditing jobs, an important job is underway, or there are issues going on. We’ve all seen those times of leaders. We may have even fallen victim to this trap ourselves.
Here’s the thing: if we only show up when there’s an issue, your team will start associating your presence with negativity or pressure.
What if you made it a habit to be present without an agenda? What if you showed up just to be present and connect with your team? This shift in leadership mindset can make a massive impact on how your team perceives you, how much they trust you, and how willing they are to be open with you.
Let’s talk about why this works and how you can start practicing it yourself today.
Misconception of Visible Leadership
As I discussed in the introduction, I used to believe that being part of leadership meant being productive. My field visits always had a purpose. Discussions with my team in the field always led to me offering advice or discussing proper procedures with them, even if it was just reminding them about them. Sound familiar?
But then I started noticing something.
Whenever I showed up, people started acting differently. Our conversation felt like a burden to them, and my team seemed guarded. They always expected me to either give them work, correct something, or ask for updates.
I even would catch quips like:
“Woo, what do we have now”
“Yay, more work”
“We are still about where we were the last time you checked”
That’s when I realized I was making a common leadership mistake in that I was treating every interaction as a transaction.
Have you fallen into any of these traps?
Are you only showing up when there is a problem?
This causes your presence to have a negative association. Your team will start to get tense when you show up, and they’ll always be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Do you always bring up work-related topics?
If every conversation is a work conversation, your team cannot relax in your presence. You will start to hinder their ability to switch off for short periods of time.
Are you focusing too much on coaching?
Sometimes, people just need to talk without being “fixed.” Yes, this also makes for expert marriage advice.
As I worked on these questions, I looked at my own leadership journey and noticed an unflattering pattern. That’s when I chose to shift how I approach visible leadership. I started showing more just to be present with my team. That’s when I noticed a shift in them. They started opening up, the sense of trust increased, and our overall team culture improved.
Embracing Visible Leadership Without Agendas
So, what does it mean to practice visible leadership without an agenda?
A classical definition of visible leadership refers to a leader being physically and symbolically present, actively engaging with their team or organization, and demonstrating leadership qualities through their actions and behaviors.
Kouzes & Posner (2017) emphasized the importance of leaders being visible and approachable to inspire trust and motivate others. They argue that leadership is a relationship built on trust, and visible leaders make that relationship tangible by being present and actively involved in the organization’s goals.
Too often, as leaders, we allow ourselves to believe that we are visible leaders. However, as discussed earlier, these engagements with our team become corrupted by our agendas.
So, to answer the question, practicing visible leadership without an agenda means returning to the basis of building relationships with our teams. These relationships cannot be built if we are trying to find wrongdoings or solve problems for them.
Benefits from Visible Leadership
When I started being present with my team more without an agenda, I noticed my team began to respond differently.
Don’t get me wrong, this change was not immediate, but our conversations became more natural over time. They even shared more things with me than they previously had. You could tell that we had made progress towards building strong relationships.
So, what can you expect to see when you implement these changes within your teams?
Stronger Relationships
As you increase these relationships, your team begins to see you as approachable, and they are more likely to be honest with you
Early Awareness of Workplace Issues
Instead of only hearing about problems after they have escalated to conflicts, you will begin to gain insight into these issues as they are developing. This can come from many different avenues, one of which can be your increased approachability, allowing your more reserved team members to speak up.
Increased Team Morale
As discussed in 13 Mistakes of New Managers neglecting team morale leads to many negative consequences, but practicing visible leadership goes a long way in correcting this. When your team begins to understand that you are there to support and not micromanage them, they gain an increased sense of value. Allowing them to find more enjoyment in their work.
More Open Communication
If your team isn’t afraid that every conversation will turn into a lecture, they will be willing to share more. This increase in sharing can lead to your team sharing ideas for improvements that they may not have shared previously due to them feeling that their ideas were previously unwanted.
Less “Us vs. Them” Mentality
When our behaviors and actions as leaders have us only practicing visible leadership in times of crisis or disciplinary actions, our employees will begin to see us as “management” instead of a part of their team.
I saw these benefits first-hand when I stopped having every conversation about work. One thing to remember is that these relationships are on an individual basis. Each of your relationships with your team members will change at different speeds.
Have you ever noticed that people tend to open up more when they don’t feel pressured?
Implementing Visible Leadership
If you’re ready to take this change, several thoughts might cross your mind.
“What if I don’t know what to say?”
“What if my team thinks I’m wasting time?”
“What if I come off as disingenuous?”
Here’s how you can get started implementing visible leadership”
1. Make Time for Unstructured Presence
Instead of only showing up when you need to set aside time each day to be visible to your team.
If your work is anything like mine, if there is an open spot on your calendar, someone will schedule a meeting in it.
One method to help ensure you have time with your team is to block out times on your calendar. I have three one-hour blocks set aside on my calendar for this. I try to spend more time with my team each week, but I always know that at a minimum, I will have these three one-hour blocks to ensure I am getting time with them.
2. Engage in Casual Conversations
Keep it light and casual when you are out there with your team.
Avoid direct work conversations; ask them about their weekend plans, how their families are, or current news around the area. It sounds like a first date, but like with first dates, you are trying to build a foundation for the relationship. When you see them again at a later date, bring back up something from these earlier conversations. It shows that you cared and listened to what they were saying.
Now, one thing I have to add. You are still a leader, and especially if you’re in a petrochemical manufacturing industry like myself, you can speak up if you see an immediate safety concern. Just don’t spend this time trying to find something.
3. Listen More Than You Talk
Resist the urge to turn these conversations into coaching sessions. Just listen.
You should only be engaging and keep the conversation going. Let your team talk. Listen and be genuinely interested in what they have to say.
4. Be Consistent
Consistency, Consistency, Consistency
Being more visible for a week and returning to your old habits will not change anything. You have to be consistent. Building relationships takes time and effort. Suppose you are unwilling to put in the effort to build these relationships consistently. In that case, they will never be built, and these relationships are the foundations for every positive change you and your team will make throughout your leadership journey.
5. Pay Attention to How They Respond
Some of your employees will open up right away, while others will take time.
Stay adaptable in your approach.
Take note of how some of your employees who are more resistant to change respond to certain conversational topics. Use these responses to tailor your conversation starters to get these resistant employees engaged.
When I started implementing these concepts/principles, it felt forced and unnatural. However, over time, I saw the relationships starting to build within the team. This positive change in our relationships made implementing these principles much easier, and now is just a natural occurrence when I am out with my team.
Wrapping up
Visible leadership without an agenda is not just a strategy; it’s a mindset.
It’s about showing up for your team not as the boss but as a human who genuinely cares about their well-being and development. The change in my team that I experienced wasn’t immediate, but as I shifted my approach, I saw firsthand how relationships grew into to true trusting bonds.
Remember, leadership isn’t always about having a purpose for every interaction. Sometimes, being present without any agenda can create the space for real, meaningful connections. When you make it a priority to be visible, not for a task or a problem but simply to engage with your team, you pave the way for better communication, stronger bonds, and a more open and collaborative environment.
So, go ahead and make that time for unstructured presence. Keep it casual, listen more than you speak, and be consistent. Don’t expect immediate results but stay the course. Over time, you’ll see the improved impact of practicing visible leadership without an agenda in how your team interacts with you, engages with one another, and approaches their work.
Leadership is about relationships, and relationships take time to build.
References
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (6th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
