Why leaders need to work in the business not for the business

Too many leaders spend their time working for the business, reporting, firefighting, chasing metrics, but not enough time working in the business where real impact happens.

Working for the business looks like:
• Endless meetings about strategy
• Dashboards without context
• Decisions made far from the front line
• Being busy, but not necessarily effective

• Listening to customers and teams
• Understanding daily challenges
• Removing obstacles in real time
• Coaching, not just directing
• Making strategy practical and actionable

The difference?
Leaders who work in the business build trust, spot problems early, and create cultures where people feel seen and supported. They don’t just set direction, they shape reality.

This doesn’t mean abandoning strategic thinking. It means grounding strategy in lived experience. The best leaders zoom out to set vision, then zoom back in to understand how that vision plays out day-to-day.

If you’re in a leadership role, ask yourself:
When was the last time I saw our work from the customer’s perspective?
How often do I spend time with teams on the front line?
Am I leading from reports, or from reality?

Great leadership isn’t about being removed from the work.
It’s about being close enough to make it better.

#Leadership #Management #Culture #BusinessGrowth #PeopleFirst