A few years ago, my wife and I went to Café Javas in Lugogo for dinner.
Nothing unusual—just a normal weekday evening.
But what shocked me was this:
One restaurant was overflowing—every table full, waiters flying around, a line forming like it was a visa interview.
Meanwhile, the restaurant right next door?
Empty. Deserted. Silent.
Same location.
Same potential customers.
Same time of day.
So what was the difference?
Leadership.
The Manager Who Wasn’t Trying to Look Like a Boss
As we ate, I noticed an Asian man moving through the crowd with calm control.
He wasn’t loud.
He wasn’t posing.
He wasn’t performing “manager.”
His tag read Manager, but his behavior said something else:
He was leading.
He moved between tables, checked on staff, observed the kitchen flow, talked to customers discreetly, and solved issues before they even became visible.
His leadership style was the opposite of what destroys many small businesses in Uganda.
He didn’t need to look important.
He was too busy being effective.
This is the difference I talk about in more depth here: [How Leadership Directly Impacts Customer Experience].
The Plague: The Ugandan Need to “Feel Important”
Let’s be honest.
We have a cultural disease in Uganda:
The addiction to looking important.
Many new business owners and managers fall into the trap of:
- Wanting a big chair
- Wanting an office
- Wanting people to “report to them”
- Wanting to sit and command
- Wanting to supervise from a distance
We grew up watching Hollywood bosses in leather chairs saying, “Make it happen.”
So when some Ugandans enter leadership, they imitate that fantasy.
They find a chair.
They find an office.
They find someone to send.
Walking around?
That’s for juniors.
Sweating?
That’s for staff.
Being active on the ground?
That’s for people still hustling.
This isn’t laziness.
This is image addiction—a craving for the appearance of importance instead of the impact of leadership.
It’s why many local managers sit inside tiny offices while:
- Customers complain
- Staff struggle
- Problems pile up
- Quality drops
- Systems collapse quietly
But hey… at least they look like “the boss.”
This illusion has a cost—one I explore deeper in [The Financial Cost of Poor Management Decisions].
The Invisible Damage “Boss Behaviour” Creates
When a leader becomes obsessed with looking important, the business suffers in ways they don’t see:
- Service slows down
- Customers get frustrated
- Staff make uncorrected errors
- Feedback never reaches decision-makers
- Little problems become big crises
- Staff become scared, not supported
A business without a present leader becomes a classroom where the teacher never shows up—but insists learning is happening.
Meanwhile, Real Leaders Are On Their Feet
Back at Café Javas, the manager didn’t need reports or long stories.
He had real-time truth.
Because he was present, he could:
- See problems early
- Support overwhelmed staff
- Maintain consistency
- Protect customer experience
- Keep operations flowing smoothly
This wasn’t luck.
This was leadership posture.
The packed restaurant vs the empty one next door?
That was not chance.
That was culture, systems, and hands-on management.
Learn how to build that culture in [How to Build a Customer-Centric Business in Uganda].
The Cure: The Boss Who Gets Up
Here’s the principle:
The Boss Who Gets Up
This is the antidote to ego-driven leadership.
A real boss:
- Gets up
- Walks around
- Observes
- Asks questions
- Helps staff
- Solves problems in real time
- Leads from proximity, not distance
- Guides the business with presence, not position
This is how the best businesses run—not with titles, but with involvement.
Why This One Shift Can Transform Your Business
When you stop performing “boss-ness” and start practicing leadership, everything improves:
- Staff feel supported
- Customers feel valued
- Service becomes consistent
- Mistakes decrease
- Standards rise
- Problems shrink instead of grow
- The business becomes alive again
Because the truth is simple:
**Customers don’t care about your chair.
They care about their experience.**
And experience improves only when leaders show up—physically, mentally, and consistently.
For more on building these habits, read [Beginner’s Guide: How to Build High-Performing Small Teams].
Final Word: Leadership Isn’t a Seat—It’s a Presence
The Café Javas manager wasn’t trying to look powerful.
He was busy making the restaurant work.
And that’s the lesson:
Leadership is not a position.
Leadership is presence.
Small businesses don’t fail because owners aren’t smart.
They fail because owners sit down too early.
Unlock your true potential 