If you want trust, you have to walk toward your team, not wait for them to come to you. Presence is an intentional leadership choice, and people can feel when you make it.
I’ve always believed that leadership starts with being intentional and present. The leaders I follow are more than noise that fills a room but have the energy and ability to notice what’s happening in it.
Being present to and with your team is one of the most underrated skills in leadership today. It’s not about hovering or checking in for the sake of visibility; it’s about listening deeply, connecting intentionally, and showing up as human.
Years ago, Tom Peters popularized Management by Walking Around (MBWA) and I watched it in practice, saw the impact, and see how this simple idea still holds power. The technique isn’t about strolling the halls; it’s about stepping into the rhythm of your team’s work. In a hybrid world, that might mean joining a virtual huddle, dropping into a chat thread, or asking a teammate how a project feels rather than just how it’s going.
When leaders practice MBWA with intention, they gain insights that dashboards can’t show because the focus is a human one filled with tone, energy, and trust. If you are in the moment, then you catch the quiet signals that reveal how your teammates are really doing. And they model vulnerability by being curious instead of certain.
Ways to apply this today
Pause before you advise. Ask one more question than you normally would. Listening is your best diagnostic tool.
Show up where the work happens. Visit the team channel, the shared doc, or the customer call. Have a short coffee break in-person or remotely, presence builds trust.
Reflect out loud. Share what you’re learning from these interactions as it normalizes curiosity and humility. It also provides the opportunity to correct misunderstandings early and openly.
Be intentional. A five‑minute check‑in can shift a team’s energy more than a formal meeting ever could.
Why it matters
Leadership presence isn’t about proximity; it’s about connection. When we walk around interacting with teammates modeling curiosity and listening, we remind our teams that leadership is a relationship, not a role. We deepen trust by being human, vulnerable, and intentional.
Your turn
How do you stay present with your team, especially in hybrid or remote settings? Where have you seen MBWA make a difference? Share your experiences; they help all of us lead with more awareness. And if you’re exploring ways to build presence into your leadership rhythm, I can help you design practices that fit your team’s flow and culture.
#LeadershipDevelopment #HumanCenteredLeadership #TeamCulture #ManagementByWalkingAround #MBWA #LeadershipStrategy
Oh so true!
I would add one more step…
Repeat frequently!
Doing MBWA monthly in NOT enough!
I knew a manager who would plan his « walks » once a week in a systematic way in his calendar and shared his plan with his employees and his boss. Oh he would get his bonus for his very nice plan and he checked all the boxes… only to cancel frequently his nicely planned walks.
His unfrequent and very occasional walks did not change anything.
So yeah WBMA , intentionally, frequently with authenticity and integrity!
Yes it still works!!
Thanks Bill for reminding us!!