Ever had a leader who was too involved in all of the details? We call that leader a micromanager. It can feel suffocating and unempowering. Ever had a leader who was aloof, uninvolved, with their head in the clouds? I’ve not heard “macromanager” as a commonly used term, but it seems like the appropriate semantic. This leader makes you feel unsupported and alone.

Have you ever heard someone describe themself as detail-oriented? Have you ever heard someone describe themself as a big picture thinker?

I have, plenty of times. I think this way of describing ourselves and others sets up a false dichotomy. We all have tendencies, but I don’t think it is appropriate to limit ourselves.

Photography

I dabble in photography. I’ve noticed something about myself. I am fully capable of taking a fantastic macro close-up of a delicate flower. In the next moment, I can take a breathtaking photo of a scenic mountain lake. All I have to do is change out my lens. That’s all. Same photographer. Same camera body. Just a different lens.

Situational awareness

I’ve never seen a leader get accused of micromanaging when they bring their expertise to bear in a detailed situation that requires it. I’ve never seen a leader get accused of being aloof when they take their time to share their long-term vision with their team. Leaders only get called out when they get it wrong.

I’ve never seen a photographer fumble around with the wrong lens for the situation. They all seem to know what they need. They mount the proper lens and go to work.

Skill development

We all think about senior executives as the ones who are skilled at big-picture thinking and strategic communication. But here’s the deal: no one starts their career as a senior executive. We act like they were born that way, and just moved up until they got the chance to lead the way they always could. That’s nonsense.

Every senior executive that you admire for their big-picture thinking started in an entry-level job that required attention to detail. If they didn’t have those skills, they never would have had the opportunity to move up.

For Christmas, I got a new telephoto lens for my camera, and I’m stoked to try it out in the field. As leaders, we need to expand our capabilities. We need to learn, practice, experiment, and get feedback.

Great leaders

The best leaders have versatile skills and situational awareness. They are like a photographer who’s been at it for a while. They’ve got a bag full of gear and they know what lens to grab to get the shot they want.

The same leader can make an inspiring speech to the masses in one moment, and in the next moment, notice the fine print in a contract they are about to sign.

Your turn

It’s important for new leaders to be careful not to micromanage, but once you’ve been at it for a while, I think this looks a little different. Develop a versatile set of approaches, then pay close attention to what is needed in the situation.

If you have an employee who needs support, give him support. If you have an employee who needs space, give her space.

If your team needs you to see into the future, then learn how to do that. If your team needs your help in an area where you have expertise, and they don’t, it’s okay to dive in. Just make it a teachable moment, so the next time they can handle it without you.

Pay attention to your self-talk. Do you say, “I’m a detail-oriented person?” That may be true, but you aren’t exclusively so. Do what’s needed. If you don’t know how, learn.

Before you know it, you’ll have the confidence of an experienced photographer with a bag full of lenses.

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