Lead at the gate

Leadership can be deceptively simple. Small, intentional actions add up. But those actions are also under enormous pressure, and are often the first thing ejected when busy bites.

In 2016, UWA researcher Jon Gillet and colleagues researched leadership in challenging schools. It highlighted the value of the Principal's greeting staff, parents and students at the gate. Bonus value if they were there rain, hail or shine. That’s a decent chunk of time each day. Standing out the front saying Hi. Meanwhile, it’s easy to surmise the to-do list is not getting done. But that’s a deception. If the time is intentional and purposeful, if the opportunity is used well, greeting people at the gate will catch a lot of potential “to-do’s” before they even make it to the list.

The leader at the gate is visible. They are building trust and relationships. If they are observant, they’ll also be noticing who is fired up, who is flat, who is avoiding who etc. Many potential issues will be addressed in casual conversation, proactive enquiry, or connecting the right people together.

The Principle of the Principal should not be a surprise. It shows up in other places if we care to look. The reality TV show “Undercover Boss” is largely built on what leaders discover when they spend time understanding the front line of their business. Often, the outcome is greater empathy, removal of barriers, proper resourcing, better use of someone's skill. Almost always it results in better engagement for both the leader and their staff.
And almost everyone I know can recall a leader who built trust that way. It’s memorable and effective. Yesterday, two different people told me about a leader they appreciate because they lead at the gate.

Where the ‘gate’ is will be different in different businesses. It might be a break room, an open plan area, or an intentional space online for remote teams. The actions might vary as well. I’ve seen leaders walk around, buy coffees, grab a broom, play ping pong, drop meals off for staff in distress. The place and the action matter less than the intention.

Be around. Be seen. Be approachable. Be curious. Be Observant.

How could you lead at the gate? How can you carve out and protect the time to do it?