Correctly Positioned.

One of my concessions to luxury is a TV in the bedroom. Whilst this is great for a hit of the news first thing in the morning, there is a downside. Thanks to the time difference, I also found myself in bed enjoying several rugby matches in their entirety during the World Cup from Japan. This morning, I found myself watching the BBC Breakfast offering, where inevitably, an item on the recent controversy surrounding HRH The Duke of York arose. Then, with similar inevitability, something happened that causes me to shout at the telly with alarming frequency; A cut to ‘our reporter outside Buckingham Palace’* (*replace with Downing St, Palace of Westminster, Scotland Yard as appropriate.)

Now, we can surmise that HM The Queen was in (The Royal Standard was flying), but what was the point? The journalist isn’t going to get a natter through the gates with her, let alone a wave from a Bear-skinned Guard to nod him through for an interview in the Royal Chambers. All it effectively does is mean that a reporter, a camera operator, a sound engineer and an outside broadcast manager have to get in a truck, drive across London and spaff a little more of the licence fee on an activity that actually achieves nothing more that an archive picture on a blue screen could.

Whereas that sounds a little like a Meldrew-esque rant, it reminded me of the importance of ‘being in the right place’ as a leader. In my former life as a commander for armed operations, its importance was highlighted in the Authorised Professional Practice that guided the methodology; Be able to communicate, have access to the necessary information, and have access to tactical advice. That was all crucially important for a fast-moving operation, but it transposes well into everyday leadership too.

Those three simple points are a good bedrock. Being in a position where people ‘hear you’ is all very well - but what about your ability to listen to them? Would you be better positioned down on the ‘shop floor’ for a while, and being authentic? You may also think that you know everything that is going on, but how much information is being ‘filtered’ before it gets to you? Being amongst the front line and gaining their trust can unearth some surprising truths. And who do you ask for advice - or don’t you? Then, once you’ve taken that counsel, how do you process it into your decision making?

There is another element to this as well; do your people view your presence as ‘effective visibility’, or like the bloke outside Buck House, as a little bit pointless?

‘Being in the right place’ is a real skill for a leader. Developing those sixth senses telling us when to be present, and when to disappear; when to tell, and when to ask; when to be humble and say we do not know, are all things we learn through time. Making sure there is a point to ‘being where you are’, makes a difference. Even as a boss, its perfectly possible to outstay your welcome!

Derek Flint Cert.Ed., MCIPR