Proximity changes perspective.

I used to love the show Undercover Boss. The CEOs would disguise themselves as a new employee and quietly discover the subtle mishaps, missed opportunities, and underutilized superstars hidden inside their own organization.

It was a lesson in humility and an opportunity to set hierarchy aside in pursuit of excellence.

Recently, “Operation Hard Hat” took New York by storm. Police officers disguised themselves as road workers to experience firsthand the dangers and safety concerns inside active construction zones.

Why?

Proximity changes perspective.

As leaders, it is tempting to rule from behind a desk, far removed from the action.

Creating processes and protocols guided by spreadsheets, weekly updates, dashboards, and mandates.

But here is the problem: distance creates disconnect.

And disconnect creates resentment, misalignment, and blind spots.

Many workplace problems are not employee problems at all.

They are ripple effects from weak leadership: 

• Lack of awareness and curiosity

• Overemphasis on outcomes instead of building strong processes

• Listening to respond rather than listening to learn

It feels faster to dictate orders than to invest time understanding the experience of others. I understand that. Deadlines matter. Results matter.

However, leadership without proximity eventually becomes an assumption.

I saw this clearly in my first hospital leadership role. I was given an office on the administrative floor alongside the CEO, CFO, and executive team.

Their focus was “running the hospital.”

My focus was patient care and experience.

I met personally with every patient before their elective surgery. Not for a physical exam but for relationship building.

How could I care for people well if I didn’t understand what mattered to them?

Well… imagine the reaction when patients started appearing on the administrative floor.

“What are patients doing up here?”

My answer?

These are the people we serve every day. They are the reminder of why we are here and the impact we are making.

I think it created discomfort because it closed the gap between “leadership” and reality.

That is positive discomfort.

The moment you realize you may have drifted too far from the core of the work.

I have said before that leadership is like conducting an orchestra. Imagine trying to lead musicians without ever learning an instrument or asking the violinist about the acoustics from where they sit.

Leaders have two jobs: 

1. Look up and out toward the future

2. Speak and act on behalf of the people doing the work

So, here is my question:How far have you strayed from the lived experience of your employees, clients, or customers?

Are you hiding behind “telling” instead of understanding?

Roll up your sleeves. Walk the hallway with no agenda other than curiosity. Leave the office long enough to experience the inner workings of your organization again.

The answers you desperately need are usually closest to the people furthest from your office.