Great Leaders Make Themselves 'Unnecessary'
The best engineering leaders build self-sustaining teams by setting clear context and removing blockers rather than becoming bottlenecks. This shift from individual contributor to team enabler is where many new managers struggle — they try to stay hands-on instead of empowering others to execute.
This leadership philosophy is often termed "servant leadership," a concept first modernized by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. The core idea is that leaders should prioritize serving the greater good of the team and organization, rather than accumulating personal power or acclaim. This approach focuses on principles like empathy, stewardship, and a commitment to the growth of people. The U.S. Army practices a similar doctrine called "Mission Command." This approach empowers subordinate leaders to make decisions and act within the commander's intent, emphasizing trust and decentralized execution to adapt to chaotic and uncertain environments. The philosophy is built on the understanding that leaders on the ground often have a better grasp of the immediate situation. Google's internal research, Project Oxygen, identified that empowering teams and not micromanaging is a key behavior of their most effective managers. This data-driven approach validated the importance of giving employees autonomy and resources, leading to improved team outcomes in turnover, satisfaction, and performance. Real-world examples include Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines, who fostered a "People-Service-Profit" culture, believing that happy employees lead to happy customers and, ultimately, profitability. Similarly, Cheryl Bachelder's tenure as CEO of Popeyes saw the company's stock quadruple, a success she attributed to servant leadership principles that prioritized the needs of franchisees. The financial impact of such leadership styles can be significant. One study found that a single-point increase on a seven-point scale of servant leadership exposure could translate to a $11.3 million increase in revenue for an organization. Another found that servant-led companies averaged pre-tax portfolio returns of 24.2% over a decade, compared to the 10.8% average from the 500 largest companies. This approach directly combats employee disengagement, which is costly. Gallup estimates that low employee engagement cost the global economy $438 billion in lost productivity in one year. Conversely, organizations with highly engaged employees have been shown to generate 147% higher earnings per share than their competitors. This model is not without its challenges. It requires a high level of trust in the team's skills and reliability. For this leadership style to succeed, leaders must be adept at selecting the right people and fostering a culture where individuals feel confident taking ownership. The ultimate goal, as exemplified by leaders like former Intel CEO Robert Noyce, is to attract and empower highly skilled individuals who can thrive with autonomy. This creates a resilient organization that isn't dependent on a single individual's presence, an idea captured in the adage that a great leader's work is done when the team says, "we did it ourselves."
