I knew an IPS officer who had cultivated the reputation of being a ‘crime fighter.’ And he did that by chasing petty criminals at night.
But alas, all he was doing was the job of a head constable. Admittedly, he was good at it but that is not what he was hired for.
His real job was to make hundreds of policemen working under him high performers, not to do their job.
I also knew one Transport Minister, who once caught a bus that did not have a proper permit. And for good measure, he even gave a slap to the driver. Again, that was not his job.
When we are hired for a tough role, it is very tempting to do someone else’s job. It is easy to stay busy caught up in emails, calls, and meetings.
Showing outcomes is hard. Showing activity is easy. But was that why we were hired?
Do your job. And help your team be good at theirs. That is the ONLY justification for managers to exist.
– Rajan