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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and Goala GV.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the Seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host

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<v Speaker 1>Paul Fellavaledo.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello everyone, and welcome to the Seven Minute Leadership Podcasts,

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<v Speaker 2>Episode four to seventy five. Today, I want to share

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<v Speaker 2>something personal about my leadership style, something that started out

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<v Speaker 2>as a temporary fix during COVID and turned into one

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<v Speaker 2>of the best leadership moves I've ever made. For fifteen years,

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<v Speaker 2>I sat in an office, and like most leaders, it

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<v Speaker 2>was where I got my work done. If I needed

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<v Speaker 2>quiet time, I closed the door. If I wanted to

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<v Speaker 2>be accessible, I left it open. And yes, plenty of problems, questions,

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<v Speaker 2>and conversations walked through that door. It worked and I

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<v Speaker 2>got a lot done. But in twenty twenty everything changed.

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<v Speaker 2>COVID hit and we had to protect our crews from

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<v Speaker 2>unnecessary exposure. That meant separating management from field staff. My

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<v Speaker 2>office was converted into a bedroom so that the crews

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<v Speaker 2>could have safe space at night instead of doubling up

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<v Speaker 2>on sleeping arrangements. And suddenly I didn't have an office anymore.

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<v Speaker 2>Where did I land in the conference room? The biggest

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<v Speaker 2>room on the ground floor. My chair was against the wall.

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<v Speaker 2>I had a clear view of the doors and windows,

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<v Speaker 2>and more importantly, my people had a clear view of me.

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<v Speaker 2>The moment they walked in for the start of their shift,

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<v Speaker 2>what started as a crisis solution turned into a complete

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<v Speaker 2>leadership philosophy shift. Almost six years later, I haven't moved

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<v Speaker 2>back upstairs. Why because being in the conference room has

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<v Speaker 2>taught me something I want every leader to think about.

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<v Speaker 2>Your physical presence shapes your leadership presence. When I sit

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<v Speaker 2>in the most visible, approachable, open room in the building,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sending a message without saying a single word. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>telling my people I'm here. You don't need to knock,

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<v Speaker 2>you don't need to wonder if I'm available, You can

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<v Speaker 2>walk right in. That creates an atmosphere where conversations start naturally,

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<v Speaker 2>where training happens spontaneously, and where trust is built one

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<v Speaker 2>hello at a time. So let's be honest. Some leaders hide.

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<v Speaker 2>They bury themselves behind a giant monitor, stacks of paperwork,

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<v Speaker 2>or a closed office door. They think they're being productive,

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<v Speaker 2>but what their team sees is distance. What their team

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<v Speaker 2>feels is hesitation to approach them in distance never builds culture.

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<v Speaker 2>Minimalist set up Now, a laptop, an iPad and an

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<v Speaker 2>old school composition notebook isn't just lighter on my desk,

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<v Speaker 2>It's lighter on my leadership. I'm not stuck in the

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<v Speaker 2>chair lost in spreadsheets all day. I'm engaged, available, and

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<v Speaker 2>more productive because all eyes are on me. And when

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<v Speaker 2>your team can see you, they're reminded that you see them.

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<v Speaker 2>So here's my challenge to you. Look at your office.

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<v Speaker 2>Is it an open door or is it a wall

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<v Speaker 2>between you and your people? Could you step out into

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<v Speaker 2>a more visible, approachable space. Maybe it's moving your desk,

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe it's spending half the day working in the common area.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe it's ditching some of the clutter that keeps you

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<v Speaker 2>glued to one spot. Because leadership isn't about the walls

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<v Speaker 2>you work behind. It's about the presence you bring to

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<v Speaker 2>the people in front of you. My office doesn't have

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<v Speaker 2>four walls anymore. In that that's exactly how I like it.

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<v Speaker 2>This has been the seven minute Leadership podcast, and I

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<v Speaker 2>thank you for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.