Step Counter

Leadership can become surprisingly sedentary.

The meetings pile up. The emails keep coming. Problems arrive at the office door. Before long, leaders can spend most of the day sitting behind a desk, responding to what is directly in front of them while becoming increasingly disconnected from what is happening around them.

One of the most valuable leadership practices I developed was also one of the simplest: taking a walk.

Whenever the weather permitted, I took a 20-minute walk at lunchtime with whoever wanted to go. There was no formal agenda. We walked, talked, laughed, processed the day, and sometimes solved problems without even intending to.

Those walks created space.

They provided a brief physical and mental break, but they also built relationships. People often shared things while walking that they might not have brought into a formal meeting. The conversation felt more natural because we were moving beside one another rather than sitting across a desk.

Walking reminded me that leadership does not always happen in scheduled meetings.

Sometimes leadership happens during a conversation in the hallway. It happens when someone mentions a concern while you are passing their classroom. It happens when a student shares something important because you happened to be visible and available at the right moment.

When I needed to think, reconnect, or simply understand what was happening, I would get up and walk the building. Even five minutes mattered.

Walking the building allowed me to see the work rather than only reading about it. I could notice the energy in the hallways, see what students were learning, acknowledge staff members, celebrate something positive, or recognize when someone might need support.

There is a significant difference between knowing what is happening in a building and experiencing what is happening in a building.

Innovative leadership requires proximity. We cannot improve systems we only observe from a distance. We need to see how decisions are experienced by the people expected to carry them out. We need to understand where processes become difficult, where communication breaks down, and where creative solutions are already emerging.

Taking a walk also reminds us that leadership is not always about moving faster. Sometimes we need to slow down long enough to notice what we have been missing.

Leadership routines can quietly create distance between the people we serve and us. These questions can help you consider whether you are experiencing the work firsthand or relying primarily on reports, meetings, and secondhand information.

• How much of my day is spent behind a desk or in meetings?

• When was the last time I walked through the spaces where the work is happening?

• Do people see me only when there is a problem?

• Who might speak more openly during an informal conversation than in a formal meeting?

• What could I learn by observing the environment without arriving with an agenda?

• Am I creating enough space in my day to think, reflect, and notice?

• Where have I unintentionally become disconnected from the daily experience of others?

Taking a walk does not require a new initiative, committee, or complicated implementation plan. It simply requires choosing to leave the office, become visible, and remain open to what you might discover.

• Schedule a 20-Minute Walk

  • Choose one or two days each week to take a short walk during lunch, weather permitting. Invite whoever would like to join, but do not turn it into another required meeting or structured agenda.

• Take a Five-Minute Building Walk

  • When you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected, step away from your desk and walk through the building. Notice what is happening, greet people, and allow conversations to emerge naturally.

• Walk Beside Someone

  • The physical arrangement of a conversation can change its tone. When appropriate, ask a colleague to walk with you rather than automatically scheduling another sit-down meeting.

• Look for What Is Working

  • Leadership walks should not become inspections focused only on problems. Intentionally notice effective practices, positive interactions, student engagement, and the quiet work that often goes unrecognized.

• Follow Up on What You Hear

  • Informal conversations build trust only when people know their words matter. Write down important concerns, ideas, or questions after the walk and follow up when action is needed.

• Protect Space for Reflection

  • Use part of the walk to think without immediately reaching for your phone. Give yourself permission to process a challenge, consider another perspective, or simply breathe before returning to the next responsibility.

    
    

Taking a walk may not look like a major leadership strategy, but some of the most meaningful leadership practices are not complicated.

Walk the building.

Walk beside your colleagues.

Walk away from the desk long enough to see what is happening beyond it.

You may return with a clearer mind, a stronger relationship, a new idea, or a better understanding of what your community needs. Most importantly, the people you lead will know that you are not only available when they come to you. You are willing to go to them.

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