The ‘X-Factor’ of creative leadership. 2 of 10. Put yourself in other people’s shoes. 

It’s easy to take people at face value. We all do it every day, often without thinking — on autopilot, as they say. Action. Reaction.

It’s easy to take people at face value. We all do it every day, often without thinking — on autopilot, as they say. Action. Reaction.

Modern creative leaders, however, should always have their hands on the controls, resisting the temptation to react in a knee-jerk fashion—despite the pressure to effect change and progress swiftly.

It’s important, I believe, for leaders to thoroughly understand the situation of everyone who reports to them directly. Critically — and I know this from experience — I’m not talking about being mates, drinking buddies, or whatever.

This is where being a good listener comes in and why one-on-one meetings are so necessary. It’s also why leaders should resist the temptation to dominate these sessions. Yes, I’m talking about empathy. And while that’s exactly what it is, the term has become so overused in recent times that it has gained ‘jargonesque’ status.

It’s an easy word to say, but actually bringing empathy into day-to-day leadership takes effort.

Let’s say you’re struggling with a particular team member—backchat, bad timekeeping, missing deadlines, whatever it might be. Cause and effect are at play. Your job is to understand the cause and implement steps to fix it — if indeed a fix can be achieved. But be aware of your own limitations as a leader.

In the excellent book Radical Candor by Kim Scott, she suggests that a leader should ideally have between seven and ten direct reports. This allows leaders to stay engaged with their team while maintaining enough mental and physical bandwidth to provide meaningful feedback, coaching, and support.

She also warns that having too few direct reports can lead to micromanagement, while too many can make it difficult to provide the necessary guidance and attention each team member needs and deserves.

This ideal number, while probably a bit of a pipe dream for most, clearly depends on the complexity of the work and the level of autonomy each team is allowed and capable of handling.

Having an understanding and appreciation of what makes every one of your direct reports tick, though, is essential for modern leadership.