Being Accessible – a Leadership Competence

“The best leaders are approachable and accessible. They are truly part of the team and not merely a figurehead.“ 

The need to be accessible is often underestimated while assessing the competency of a Leader.

What is accessibility for a Leader?

Accessibility for a Leader in an organisation context can be defined as the ease with which people in the organisation directly or indirectly connected are able to approach the Leader for a simple conversation or a scheduled meeting. But in real terms accessibility is not just the time one is able to allocate for others but also the mindshare and the willingness to be easily approachable and engage in conversations. It’s often measured by how comfortable people around you feel in approaching you or conveying something to you irrespective of their power distance from you.

If we understand accessibility in the above terms, then, in my experience I have found that Leaders who are more accessible have been more successful overall. They have better networks, are more influential in their organizations and have others relating to them very strongly.

What happens in Organisations

Many Leaders at CXO roles try to bring accessibility into their operations, announcing time slots when their doors are open for anyone to walk in and meet them etc. While this is good, what we’re talking about is when accessibility is more of a natural mindset than a set mode of operation. It can happen when leaders don’t allow the power and authority of their role get into their heads. Instead they nurture the thought that ‘ I am available for others and I too enjoy and learn from conversations with others.’

On many occasions, we find team members discussing how to get into the calendar of their Leader to convey something important. This is an indicator that the CXO is not too accessible. We also often hear Leaders announcing they are not available for specific days because they’re going to be occupied with a particular important event, e.g. Business Planning. This clearly indicates that accessibility as a competency can be improved upon. It’s not too complicated to find short slots, take calls, make quick decisions even during such events, especially if the Leader is inherently willing.

Organisations are coming up with open office space, collaborative space, etc to encourage an open working culture. This is encouraging and necessary to create a suitable environment but not sufficient to realise the much-needed accessibility.

It is a common phenomenon that people in an organisation find it often tough to get the appointments through the Leader’s office staff. A good indicator of accessibility is a welcoming and approachable office and  easier appointments.

Time Management vs Being Accessible

As a Coach, I often find Time Management to be a very common area identified for development in Leaders. Many times, when the Coach delves deeper, the issue most often is not just the art of managing time but the inclination to be available for others and the realisation of how important it is in the making of the Leader.

To be accessible of course requires good time management but beyond that the belief that I am a better Leader if I am more accessible. It is not about playing down my power but rather empowering myself through better networking and building relationships.

Ask yourself

Today, technology has enabled accessibility to knowledge and information to an unimaginable level. We have access to any information at our fingertips. As accessibility to information improves, we realise technology has also grown at a much faster rate – the approach is more collaborative and has contributed to steady growth. As humans and Leaders, are we keeping pace with technology in terms of accessibility ? Isn’t accessibility as a leadership style and competence equally important for a holistic development ?

Author – Sriram TV, CFI Coach