Field Notes

High approachability shapes the relationship a leader has with team members in a profound and positive way. 

The more approachable a leader is perceived to be, the more likely they are to learn what others truly think and experience. 

Approachable leaders get an early reporting of issues, hear of problems before they escalate, and get asked for their feedback and guidance. They are entrusted with knowing what bothers people and what adversities they face in and out of the workplace. 

The willingness of team members to share their candid disagreements, inhibitions, and doubts, and incomplete ideas depends largely on how approachable the leader has shown themselves to be. 

Multiple studies have also shown that team members who believe their leader is highly approachable display higher engagement, greater productivity, and increased commitment to the team. 

In large organizations, approachable leaders make the workplace feel smaller and more collegial by lowering the leadership status people perceive and by giving team members more access to what’s really happening in the organization. 

Less approachable leaders don’t learn many things they later wish they had.  

They are usually the last to learn about bad news, people in crisis, execution risks, and the warning signs of discontent. They are often caught by surprise regarding many of the debates happening throughout the organization without them. 

Team members resign without giving them a heads-up or discussing their concerns before making the decision. 

A lack of approachability has real consequences. 

All great leaders are approachable, and they work hard at making themselves available and open to any conversation others desire to have. 

They amplify their approachability by showing visible interest in the work and lives of others, by listening patiently to what others say without defensiveness, by inviting challenge and inquiry from team members, by always treating people with respect and making them feel valued, by applying standards consistently and fairly, and by displaying an emotional evenness regardless of the issue or urgency involved. 

Approachable leaders show their vulnerability by admitting what they don’t know, sharing their past mistakes, and disclosing when they have doubts. 

But one behavior suggests more than others that a leader is approachable. 

In addition to seeking input as they think through issues and decisions, they also seek advice from team members on non-work and non-task issues. 

They ask people for travel tips, restaurant recommendations, parenting advice, the newest shows to watch, ways to recharge, places to visit, activities to experience, and technology to experiment with. 

They not only show they are curious about people and what makes them tick, but they actively seek recommendations and suggestions for their own lives. This shows them to be human and a whole person. 

By consistently asking for such advice, listening intently to the response, and thanking people for what they have shared, leaders show themselves to be personable, open, and humble. This makes them safe to share any issue with. 

How approachable are you as a leader? What would your team feel uncomfortable bringing to your attention? How much of what they really think and believe do team members share with you? 

A final thought: Strangely enough, some leaders like to make themselves less approachable by design. 

They don’t want to be bothered or annoyed by team members asking for their guidance and counsel. They keep their doors and minds closed. 

They prefer to signal they are in charge and shouldn’t be messed with. People apologize for interrupting them and asking for their directions. 

This makes them feel important and powerful. Unfortunately, it also leaves them out of many of the most important conversations. 

Unapproachable leaders don’t learn what they need to, and their effectiveness suffers as a result. Too much distance is the enemy of great leadership.