The traditional vision of an effective leader often associated their constant presence and direct supervision of the team. However, the modern work environment, characterized by the rise of remote work, hybrid teams, and growing employee autonomy, calls for a revision of this belief. Increasingly, a team’s ability to function in the absence of their manager is seen as a measure of leadership quality. This article analyzes the theoretical and practical aspects of this issue, based on international research studies.
Theoretical Foundations of the Leader’s Absence in the Team
Leadership studies indicate various approaches to the presence and absence of a manager. Several key concepts in the literature help understand the dynamics of team functioning during the absence of the leader.
Two Faces of Leader Absence
In analyzing the impact of a leader’s absence on the team, it is crucial to differentiate between “empowering leadership” and “absentee leadership.” The former style is characterized by intentional delegation of authority and building team autonomy, while the latter simply refers to neglecting leadership duties.
Research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that empowering leadership has a positive impact on employees’ psychological empowerment and proactive behaviors. Furthermore, this impact can extend across teams, meaning that a leader of one team can influence the psychological empowerment of an employee not only in their own team but also in another team led by a different leader.
On the other hand, an analysis conducted by Harvard Business Review indicates that being ignored by a superior can be more alienating than being mistreated. While absent leaders may unintentionally foster an environment of autonomy and independence, it often comes at the cost of team morale.
The Social Dimension of Absence
An interesting perspective on this issue is provided by a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, which found that team absenteeism behavior has a group-level impact on individual employee absenteeism behavior. Moreover, the absence of a manager moderates the effect of team absenteeism. This means that a leader’s behavior regarding presence/absence can strengthen or weaken group norms regarding attendance.
Positive and Negative Consequences of Leader Absence
The impact of leader absence on team performance is complex and can lead to both positive and negative consequences.
Potential Benefits
Research published in industry journals indicates a number of potential benefits associated with the periodic absence of a leader:
- Development of team autonomy and self-organization – Teams without constant supervision often develop the ability to organize work independently and make decisions.
- Development of shared leadership – The absence of a formal leader can lead to the emergence of shared leadership, where different team members take on leadership roles depending on the situation and needs.
- Increased trust and responsibility – Delegating tasks during the leader’s absence can lead to increased trust and responsibility within the team.
Risks Associated with Absence
On the other hand, research also points to significant risks associated with a leader’s absence:
- Decline in morale and engagement – Prolonged leader absence, especially when perceived as neglect, can lead to a significant drop in team morale.
- Role ambiguity and conflict – Without active leadership, teams may experience role ambiguity, leading to conflicts between coworkers and workplace bullying.
- Decision-making delays – A leader’s absence can delay crucial decisions, affecting the team’s overall effectiveness.
- Ripple effect – Research suggests that a leader’s absence can cause a domino effect, leading to increased absenteeism among team members.
Factors Influencing Team Effectiveness During Leader Absence
A team’s ability to function in the absence of a leader depends on many factors. Researchers from MIT Sloan Management Review emphasize that the risk of sudden leadership failure can be predicted through early detection of challenges and better support. In the context of leader absence, key factors include:
- Team maturity – Teams made up of experienced employees with high competencies tend to perform better during a leader’s absence.
- Prior preparation – Leaders who actively prepare their teams for autonomous action can generally expect better results during their absence.
- Clearly defined processes and procedures – Teams with clearly defined decision-making processes and operating procedures function better without direct supervision.
- Organizational culture – Organizations with a culture based on trust and autonomy create better conditions for teams to perform in the absence of the leader.
Practical Business Examples
Positive Example: Transformation in a Technology Company
The product development director in an international technology company regularly went on business trips lasting several weeks. Before each trip, he organized planning sessions during which the team collectively set goals and milestones for his absence. Additionally, he designated rotating leaders responsible for different aspects of the project.
After a year of this practice, the team developed an extraordinary ability to self-organize. During one of the director’s absences, the team independently identified and solved a significant technical problem that could have delayed the product launch. Moreover, they proposed an innovative solution that was ultimately implemented as a standard procedure in the company.
As one French manager observes: “The physical absence of [the boss] is compensated by his virtual presence. However, his disappearance allows us to measure his ability to delegate to an autonomous organization.”
Negative Example: Crisis in a Service Company
In contrast to the above example, in a certain service company, the manager’s weeks-long absence from the customer service department led to a significant drop in service quality and customer satisfaction. Lack of clear guidelines, irregular communication, and insufficient team preparation caused chaos.
As described by one employee in a LinkedIn comment: “The overall feeling of the first-line teams I was part of was: ‘They don’t care, so why should we?’ Poor performance was not addressed and, in many cases, seemed to be rewarded.” This example illustrates how destructive the impact of absent leadership can be on team morale and performance.
Strategies for Building a Team Effective During Leader Absence
Based on research and practitioners’ experiences, several key strategies can be identified to help build teams capable of performing effectively in the absence of a leader:
- Delegating with clear responsibility – Effective delegation of tasks and responsibilities is crucial. Research suggests that empowering leadership provides employees with strong mastery experiences that contribute to their psychological empowerment.
- Building a culture of trust – Leaders should actively build a culture of trust within their teams, which forms the foundation for autonomous action.
- Creating clear communication and decision-making protocols – Teams need clear guidelines for communication and decision-making during the leader’s absence.
- Developing leadership among team members – Effective leaders actively develop leadership skills among their team members. One of the leader’s fundamental tasks is to develop the capabilities and leadership competence of team members.
- Regular feedback sessions – Regular feedback sessions after periods of leader absence help identify areas for improvement and reinforce best practices.
The French approach to managing a leader’s absence emphasizes the importance of planning and preparing the team. As noted in a French source on managing leader absence, it is crucial to identify the consequences of absence and develop a replacement strategy.
Conclusions
Based on an analysis of international research and business practices, it can be concluded that a team’s ability to function effectively during a leader’s absence is an important, but not the only, indicator of leadership quality.
A good boss is not only one whose team performs perfectly in their absence but, more importantly, one who consciously creates the conditions that allow such performance. This means:
- Actively developing team autonomy and competence.
- Building an organizational culture based on trust and responsibility.
- Creating clear processes and structures that facilitate decision-making.
- Consciously preparing the team for periods of absence.
Thus, leadership quality should not be measured only by the functioning of the team in the leader’s absence but also by the leader’s ability to develop the team’s potential and prepare it for autonomous action.
As one of the managers quoted in the study aptly puts it: “What one should fear in the absence of the boss is: 1) indifference towards the work of the teams (this is the worst of all for me), 2) a penchant for the responsibility that could have been taken in his absence and will not be given up (it was so good without him).”
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