If You Leave Them, You Don’t Lead Them 🚀

The statement, “If you leave them, you don’t lead them,” is the sort of wisdom that makes leaders everywhere squirm uncomfortably in their ergonomic chairs. It’s a truth bomb with extra sting - let’s face it, if leadership was just barking orders via email while sipping artisanal coffee we’d all be running big corporate banks.

Leading isn’t about managing from a distance like a drone operator. No, it’s about being present, visible and engaged. It’s rolling up your sleeves (or at least pretending to) and letting your team know you’re in the trenches with them, not hiding in your office Googling “how to inspire people.” This truth is the one of the great paradoxes in leadership, how do we achieve this without negatively impacting autonomy, empowerment and all the other things we need to make our teams work.

Here's how to lead and be present without making your team wish you would leave them.

1. Be Visible, not Just Online

If your team needs GPS to find you or an appointment through your PA to meet you, chances are they’re also lost when it comes to your vision. Show up, walk the talk, eat lunch with your team (yes, Sandra, they know you have that “special fridge” in your office). Visibility builds safety which leads to trust and trust is the bedrock of leadership.

2. Culture isn’t a memo and email isn’t leadership

If you think “Culture” is something HR handles, think again. Culture is determined by what senior staff do, not what you type in all caps at 5am. If you want a team that’s collaborative, driven, and high-performing, you need to model those behaviours. Remember, “Do as I say, not as I do” probably only works with your 5 years old, sometimes!

3. Set Expectations Like a Pro (not a Politician)

Clear expectations from a leader who’s visible make the difference between a team that’s running a relay and one that’s flailing in a three-legged sack race. Be upfront about goals, timelines and importantly, the why. Saying no, “Because that’s NOT how do things around here” doesn’t cut it, unless you’re running a dictatorship or a very bad team building session.

4. Praise (Stop Taking the Credit!)

Don’t be the person hoarding accolades like toilet paper during a pandemic or an 11-year-old goal hanger. When your team does well, let the world know they did well. Call it out in meetings, newsletters, with board members, post about it and give them the credit they deserve. People work harder for leaders who make them feel valued, it drives our shared purpose - not the ones who slap their own name on anything with space for a label.

5. Drop the Ego, not the Ball

The fastest way to lose respect while trying to be visible? Make leadership all about you. Your job is to remove barriers, not be the barrier. If you’re more focused on yourself and what other think of you, chances are you won’t see the value in clearing the roadblocks for your team, you’ve left them in the dust and not in that good, “motivational speaker” kind of way.

6. Remember: Leaving isn’t just Physical

Even if you’re physically present, you can still “leave” your team emotionally or mentally. If you’re checked out, they know. A leader scrolling through their phone in a meeting is as demotivating as that time Jeff brought fat free, gluten free vegan brownies again. Engage, listen and be the support system your team needs.

Leadership is not a spectator sport. Maxwell’s reminder is clear: you can’t inspire from the sidelines, you can’t lead from the shadows and you definitely can’t expect your team to flourish while you’re too busy Googling “how to get verified on LinkedIn.”

Get out there, stay involved and remember—it’s not about you, it’s about them. And when you do it right? Your team doesn’t just follow you—they trust you. And that’s where the impact happens.