I read recently about a new book by Bill Treasurer called Leaders Open Doors. I haven’t read the book yet, so that is not what this post is about. This book title got me thinking about a the phrase open-door management or open-door leadership. This concept has been around for at least two decades (probably longer). I recall hearing about having an open door policy when I was a very new supervisor back in the mid-80s in fact. That concept was for a manager to be accessible to her employees, to encourage them to walk right in to the manager’s office whenever there was any type of problem, news, idea, or concern. The manager was supposed to welcome anyone walking into her office, and to make time to listen to the employees. But this traditional concept of the manager sitting at a desk while employees had to come to her for solutions to problems just doesn’t sit well with most people these days. It certainly does nothing to foster the concept of leadership.
Instead, open door leadership is all about the leader serving her employees, colleagues, peers and clients by opening doors of opportunity for others. True leaders open doors for anyone they do business with by finding out how the leader can best serve others and then making those connections or taking the actions that will fullfill the needs of others. That meaning of open door leadership certainly resonates more with me than the traditional open door management from decades ago. How can you as a leader (in any aspect of life and at any level) open doors for others? Feel free to add to the discussion below.