A HARD Leader: Part II

This week, we will discuss Moses and his great leadership qualities using the acronym HARD. The first attribute was being Humble. Today, we will discuss being Approachable.

Many years ago, I worked for a bank that brought in a new CEO. At first, he met and listened to the concerns and thoughts of all levels of the staff. Eventually, he surrounded himself with a small executive team who isolated him from others, and he became unapproachable and out of touch.

Moses eventually delegated authority as well, but he remained open for the people to bring their grievances to him.

Exodus 18:16 says, “The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.”

Don’t be afraid to delegate authority, but always remain approachable to all members of your team.

Questions for Reflection

• What does being approachable look like? What is the connection between relationship building and being approachable? What have you seen others do to become more approachable? How would your business improve if the leader was approachable?
• How might you make time to see that grievances are being heard? What change in operations would help to facilitate a better communication culture? If your employees do not feel comfortable coming to you with problems, how might you make them feel more welcome?