Leading Without Walls: Building Openness and Courage by Sitting Among Your Team
Leadership isn’t defined by titles or cabins — it’s defined by presence.
Over the last eight years of serving as a department head, one of the most impactful decisions I made wasn’t about technology, strategy, or structure — it was about where I chose to sit.
Instead of isolating myself in a separate cabin, I decided to sit with my team — physically and mentally. And that decision transformed how my people interacted, communicated, and performed.
1. The Power of Presence
A leader’s physical space often mirrors their emotional availability. When you sit behind closed doors, unintentionally, you create invisible barriers — the “he’s busy” or “I’ll prepare better before I go in” kind of hesitation.
But when you’re among the team — listening to the keyboard clicks, laughter, occasional frustrations — you become real.
You’re not just the “department head”; you’re a part of the department’s rhythm.
This presence naturally gives the team the courage to speak up, share half-baked ideas, and even challenge directions — something every modern, agile leader should encourage.
2. Creating Openness Through Accessibility
Early in my leadership journey, I noticed how team members often hesitated to share problems — not because they didn’t have solutions, but because they didn’t feel safe enough to talk.
By removing physical boundaries, I reduced the perceived hierarchy gap.
I could sense the pulse of the team better — not through status reports, but through natural conversations, subtle expressions, and even body language.
This accessibility nurtured openness.
People started approaching me not just with problems but also with ideas, risks, and suggestions that eventually shaped our products and processes for the better.
3. Courage Grows Where Fear Fades
Courage in teams doesn’t grow in fear; it grows in trust.
When the leader sits among the team, trust becomes tangible. They see how you handle setbacks, feedback, or even your own mistakes.
I still remember an incident a few years ago when one of our deployments failed unexpectedly.
Instead of calling a private postmortem in my office, I pulled my chair next to the developers, QA engineers, and DevOps team. We diagnosed the issue together — no blame, no rank.
That day, the team didn’t just learn how to fix a technical issue — they learned that it’s okay to fail if we’re willing to learn and fix together.
That’s how courage is built — by example, not instruction.
4. The Ripple Effect: From Conversations to Culture
Over time, sitting among the team shaped an entire culture of transparency.
People didn’t wait for meetings to communicate. Discussions became faster, decision-making became smoother, and feedback turned into a daily practice rather than a quarterly ritual.
I often noticed that when one person saw me openly admitting, “I might have misjudged this timeline,” others started mirroring that honesty.
That’s the beauty of proximity — courage spreads.
As a leader, when you share space, you share accountability.
And when you share accountability, you grow leaders — not followers.
5. Leadership Is About Reducing Distance
In today’s agile, fast-moving organizations, leadership isn’t about how big your room is — it’s about how small your distance is.
Your team doesn’t need a leader who observes from the corner office.
They need someone who stands with them during challenges, listens during chaos, and celebrates the small wins beside them.
Personal Reflection
Looking back, these last eight years have reinforced a truth:
“You don’t empower people by authority — you empower them by proximity.”
The courage to speak, the openness to share, and the unity to act — they all start when leaders remove walls, both literal and emotional.
So if you’re a leader sitting behind a glass wall or inside a quiet office — step out.
Sit with your team for a week. Listen more, talk less.
You’ll be surprised how much energy, honesty, and courage start flowing across the floor.
Key Takeaways
- Leadership proximity builds psychological safety.
- Sitting with your team encourages openness and faster feedback loops.
- Courage grows when leaders are approachable and transparent.
- Small physical changes can have a massive cultural impact.
- Leaders create trust not by words, but by presence.