Leaders Remove Barriers
Don’t you miss the days when you could call a local number and talk to a person?
Recently, I needed some last‑minute printing and wanted to confirm that the nearby location of a national chain could handle a rush job. So, I did the logical thing and called the local number listed for the print shop.
Instead of reaching a person, I was dropped into an AI phone maze that made me want to pull my hair out.
Press 1.
Explain what I need.
Press 3.
Explain again.
Get transferred.
Explain it all over again.
Wait on hold while “they” figure out which location I’m trying to reach.
What I wanted was simple: talk to a real human in the local shop and ask, “Can you do this today?” What I got was nearly 10 minutes of button‑pushing, holding, and repeating myself just to end up where I started: speaking to the specific location I dialed in the first place.
It was ridiculous. And it got me thinking.
We talk a lot about “customer experience.” But the same concept applies to leadership.
Do you make it easy or hard for people to work with you?
Every leader creates one of two experiences:
Barrier‑heavy: People have to work to get your attention, your input, or your approval. They repeat themselves. They wait. They guess. They hesitate.
Barrier‑light: People know how to reach you, what to expect, and how to move work forward with you. Hard conversations feel possible. Questions feel welcome. Progress feels easier.
You may not have a phone tree, but barriers show up in quieter ways:
You only respond to the “loudest” people.
You’re frequently late or distracted in meetings.
You make it hard for people to schedule time with you.
You require people to justify every request.
You react defensively when someone brings bad news.
None of these is usually intentional. But they all send the same message: “It’s complicated to deal with me.”
A barrier-free experience is far more pleasant—for customers, colleagues, and your team.
A simple field tool: Barrier Audit
Take five minutes this week and run a quick “Barrier Audit” on yourself:
Access
How easy is it for people to get time with you?
Do they know the best way to reach you (and when)?
Information
Do people have to constantly re-explain themselves?
Are you clear with people about what details you need?
Emotional safety
How do you respond when someone brings bad news or tough feedback?
Do people feel safe being vulnerable: asking questions, offering dissenting opinions, admitting failure?
Decision‑making
Are your criteria and process clear?
Do people understand what’s needed to get to “yes”?
Pick one small barrier you notice and remove it.
Maybe this means you:
Keep at least one open office hour a week.
Start meetings by clarifying decisions needed.
Thank people when they bring issues to your attention.
Invite questions, then pause to allow time for people to respond.
It takes less than 10 seconds, but people will feel it.
A question to carry into the week
As a leader, you can’t remove every barrier. But you have enormous influence over whether working with you feels like navigating a phone tree or providing a direct line. You don’t have to be the leader who makes their team members want to pull their hair out in frustration.
Ask yourself: “What’s one way I can make it easier for people to do good work with me this week?”
Then do that.