Since becoming a manager, I have struggled to redefine what “work” means. I was taught that work is taking something and turning it into something else—and that I should not be sitting or watching others work.
Recently, I’ve been reading High Output Management by Andy Grove and have realized that, as a leader, my work is not necessarily transforming things directly but influencing, nudging, and developing others.
This has made me look at meetings in a different light. Historically, my calendar has been full of meetings, and I often make joking complaints about it. However, meetings are essential to a manager’s work—influencing, nudging, and developing—as long as they are genuinely value-added.
As we move higher in an organization, we must acknowledge that our work becomes more strategic, which requires even softer forms of influence, nudging, and development.