I was recently in a hospital where a new CEO had just been appointed. I asked a nurse manager what she thought of the new leader.
"Don't know. She's MIA. Mostly in her office. Wasn't even at the volunteer luncheon. She must have better things to do."
It made me wonder: how does that feedback ever reach the CEO?
How does someone communicate the importance of rounding, getting out of the office, meeting people, and becoming a familiar face throughout the organization?
Then again, maybe she's operating under a different mandate from those who hired her: stabilize the finances, improve margins, address a union initiative, make difficult staffing decisions. Those priorities can certainly keep a leader behind a desk.
Or perhaps those goals are best accomplished by building relationships with the people on the front lines.
When you lead a team, how much of your week is spent in your office, and how much is spent with the people who can help strengthen the culture, stabilize performance, and advance the mission?
The role of a leader isn't just to be visible. It's to be known.