I always resented working a as "team lead" or "supervisor" and hearing from management that I'm doing a great job for, essentially, being ignorable.
The more I excel at "leading the floor", the more checked out the manager is allowed to become (and hypocritically, the less patient or helpful management would be when I need support or face challenges outside my job title). Of course, when you lack a mentorship relationship with your direct manager, the more you succeed, the more your team is deprioritized, the fewer successes leadership actually sees, and the harsher leadership becomes when you are forced to be a squeeky wheel to get something fixed or dealt with.
Whenever I'm told "I love how when you're at work, I never have to worry about the cafe" which is great for avoiding unhelpful micromanagement, but not for my individual development, or the long term success of the team.
I really like this comment because it highlights another way being "quiet" and unobtrusive is prized as a quality. You also point out that this allowed your boss to do less, which is wild! Thank you for sharing this experience and I hope you're finding more balance and better leadership at work now.
I always resented working a as "team lead" or "supervisor" and hearing from management that I'm doing a great job for, essentially, being ignorable.
The more I excel at "leading the floor", the more checked out the manager is allowed to become (and hypocritically, the less patient or helpful management would be when I need support or face challenges outside my job title). Of course, when you lack a mentorship relationship with your direct manager, the more you succeed, the more your team is deprioritized, the fewer successes leadership actually sees, and the harsher leadership becomes when you are forced to be a squeeky wheel to get something fixed or dealt with.
Whenever I'm told "I love how when you're at work, I never have to worry about the cafe" which is great for avoiding unhelpful micromanagement, but not for my individual development, or the long term success of the team.
I really like this comment because it highlights another way being "quiet" and unobtrusive is prized as a quality. You also point out that this allowed your boss to do less, which is wild! Thank you for sharing this experience and I hope you're finding more balance and better leadership at work now.