What if the key to better managerial presence was absence?
As an engineering manager, finding the balance between fostering your team’s independence and your managerial responsibilities can be difficult.
In reality, it can be more beneficial to focus less on balancing and more on creating space between yourself and your team. This will help to develop agile and autonomous teams that can perform well without constant direction.
An ideal place to start cultivating independence through absence is via a manager’s leave. This can be a great opportunity for teams to manage their daily tasks and challenges without specific instruction, thereby developing greater autonomy and reaping the benefits that come with it.