Leading While the Boss is Away

I received the call early this morning. "Something has come up. Can you cover for me?" It was my boss. He is going to be gone for the day. Not too long ago, it was a two week vacation. Before that, it was a week long work-sponsored cruise

Whenever the boss is away, the mice have two choices: play or do their job.

Most of us get so used to the daily routine that we don't plan for the days when the department head is out of the office. Today, I have some thoughts on how you can spend these boss-free days.

The temptation for every single one of us is to blow off the day when the people we report to are gone. After all, who will notice?

From a leadership standpoint, though, these moments are the times for up-and-coming leaders to shine. It is when the boss is out of the office that the 2nd or 3rd in command gets his chance to lead. So, it has to be done right.

Most inexperienced leaders make two mistakes when they get a chance to lead in these situations. They may give in to staff pressure to "phone it in," or they may let the position go to their head and become a little tyrant.

However, the proper way to carry yourself as the temp leader is to try and emulate the absent boss as best you can -- and then some. In these situations, you should work to keep the office running as close to normal as possible.

You can also take it one step further by doing your best work while the boss is away. Not only will the boss be impressed, but you establish a great work ethic for use down the road. Additionally, you establish in your office culture that it is unacceptable to lay off when the boss is out.

Do you have any other thoughts on leading while the boss is away? Please share them.