Have you ever encountered someone in a position of authority, who equated Leading with Inspecting?
These are people who somehow find themselves with a semblance of responsibility, but rather than really leading they reduce their activities to merely inspecting activities and outputs.
This is Clipboard Leadership, and it is one of the most demotivating forms of authority you are ever likely to encounter.
These are leaders who demand reports, rather than results.
What Does Clipboard Leadership Look Like?
Clipboard Leadership is the seemingly never-ending process of checking on progress. It is a close cousin of micro-managing, but focuses almost exclusively on asking for reports and inspecting for any sign of imperfection in people’s work.
Like the term suggests, the image that comes to mind is of someone wandering around with a literal clipboard in hand, checking to see if every piece of work is sufficiently meeting standards.
But one need not have an actual clipboard in order to be seen as a Clipboard Leader. All it takes is a misguided belief that leadership is all about checking on progress.
How Can You Prevent Clipboarding from Creeping Into Your Leadership?
Even the most effective leaders can slip into a Clipboarding. Sometimes the genuine need for information can subtly morph into an unhealthy and unnecessary request for constant updates. When this happens, progress will stall as your team becomes increasingly frustrated by the need to produce reports, rather than results.
Watch for these early warning signs in your own leadership:
You might be slipping into Clipboard Leadership when…
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You are avoiding a decision.
The easiest way to avoid a tough call is to keep asking for more information.
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You are filling time.
Leaders dislike being idle. Sometimes this restlessness can inadvertently be filled with over-zealous requests for progress reports.
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You are stuck in your leadership.
A mild sense of panic can grip a leader who isn’t sure how to move forward. Sometimes it can feel like progress when you are pouring through project updates.
Leaders need information. They need to know what is happening in the organization.
But when this begins to result in endless requests for information, it signals that it’s time to set aside the clipboard. It’s time to lead.
Because people want to be led by someone who is calling for results, not reports.
