Somewhere between back-to-back meetings, board prep, and inbox overload, the view narrows.
You start making decisions based on reports, secondhand updates, and dashboards. Strategy becomes a spreadsheet. Culture becomes a survey result. Customers become personas.
But here’s the truth no one says out loud:
The desk is a terrible place to view the world.
As CEO, your greatest risk isn’t market disruption—it’s perspective erosion. You cannot truly lead from behind a screen.
The world that matters most—the one your employees work in, your customers experience, and your competitors influence—isn’t in your office. It’s out there.
And if you’re not regularly stepping into it, you’re leading with blind spots.
Real Leadership Happens in the Field
- When you walk the floor and catch an offhand comment that reveals a major operational misfire.
- When you sit down with a customer and learn the real reason they’re frustrated.
- When a 30-minute skip-level Zoom call sparks an idea no leadership offsite ever surfaced.
- When you attend an industry roundtable and realize your next competitor is already circling.
These aren’t optional extras.
They’re the essential inputs for bold, informed, human-centered leadership.
3 Ways to Broaden Your View—Starting Now
- Connect with Your People—Below the Waterline
Walk the halls. Host open forums. If your workforce is remote, schedule regular skip-level conversations. The goal isn’t to audit—it’s to understand. - Get Closer to the Customer
Visit them. Ask questions. Listen hard. Implement feedback loops. Consider creating a Customer Advisory Council. (And if you need help doing it right—I can introduce you to a partner who runs world-class ones.) - Engage Beyond Your Walls
Attend key industry events—not just to speak, but to learn. Build relationships with thought leaders and potential board members. Contribute to the conversation, don’t just observe it.
Leadership isn’t just about visibility. It’s about connection. And connection doesn’t happen from behind your desk.
Your Call to Action
You’ve likely invested millions in tools, systems, and strategy decks.
But are you investing your time where it will generate the most insight, innovation, and trust?
So ask yourself:
- When was the last time you heard something surprising from someone three levels down?
- When did you last sit with a customer—not to pitch, but to learn?
- Who outside your four walls is challenging your thinking?
Your business won’t grow faster than your perspective.
And the best CEOs don’t just lead from the front—they walk the field, listen deeply, and learn continuously.The world beyond your office is rich with insight.
Get out there.