Business | Bartleby

Leaving the seat of power

The doctrine of management by walking around matters more than ever

This is an illustration of a man in a white shirt and black tie, tightly bound to an office chair with green tape. He has a distressed expression, and the background is solid green
Illustration: Paul Blow

The arc of management bends towards sitting on your arse. You may intend to get away from your desk, but it holds you there nonetheless. There are always more emails to clear; there is always more work to get done. When you do leave your desk you are probably off to sit down somewhere else, in a meeting room. And you will probably share that room with your closest colleagues, people who sit behind desks that are located extremely near to yours. Domestic cats have larger territories than some bosses.

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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Leaving the seat of power”

From the February 22nd 2025 edition

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