The Making of a Manager

if you step back too much, you’re the absentee manager. Some of your reports appreciate the independence, but most wish they had more support. When things get rocky, your team feels like the Wild West, a place with no rules because there’s no sheriff in town. Your hands are pristine because you rarely roll up your sleeves and get into the nitty-gritty. You don’t make hard calls or proactively push things forward. Over time, you lose credibility as a leader because . . . well, you don’t do much. And your reports aren’t learning because you’re not coaching or challenging them.