Are you present and visible as a leader?

Leadership Lessons of Ulysses S. Grant is one of my favorite books on this topic. Here’s a passage that has always stuck with me…

“Grant will ride along the long line of the army, apparently an indifferent observer, yet he sees and notices everything. He seems to know and remember every regiment, and in fact every cannon in his large army.”

This observation came from a private in Grant’s army. A potentially nameless soldier in an army of thousands. But he knew that Grant was paying attention to everything. More powerfully, he felt that Grant cared.

Our presence lets others know that we care enough about them to invest our most valuable resource – our time.

Do you know “every cannon” of your business?

Even more importantly, do you know all your soldiers?

Practice looking at your business with a fresh perspective. Become curious about your people and your processes.

Start by looking for answers to these questions…

• Why do your employees work for you?

• Where do they see themselves in a year? Or five years?

• Where are your processes stuck? What friction can you remove that will make things more efficient?

There’s a battle happening every day, and you need to be present to lead it.