Leading By Example

Leading By Example – Walking Your Talk

There’s the mother who chastises her son for interrupting, only to talk over him. There’s the boss who wants everyone to work ‘above and beyond’ the line of duty but saunters out of the office every night at 5pm.
There’s the CFO who recommends layoffs to stop ‘unnecessary spending’ but then buys herself new, luxury office furniture.

Does this sound familiar?

There’s not much worse for company morale than leaders who practice the “Do as I say, not as I do,” philosophy. No matter what the situation is, double standards are a betrayal of trust. If you’re in a leadership position, then you know what it is to have responsibility to your team. They look to you for guidance and strength; that’s part of what being a leader is. And a big part of your leadership is to lead them with your own actions.
If you are a solo entrepreneur reading this, then your team could be your clients. If they knew you procrastinated and consistently let yourself down, do you think they would employ you?

As a leader, part of your job is to inspire the people around you to push themselves - and, in turn, the company - to greatness. To do this, you must show them the way by doing it yourself.

What does this mean for you?

If you give yourself to your team (or clients!) and show them the way, then, most likely, they'll follow you anywhere.

Good leadership takes strength of character and a firm commitment to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. This means doing what you say, when you say it. If your team can't trust you, you'll probably never lead them to greatness.

Leading - and living - by example isn't as hard as it might sound. It's really the easiest path. If your team knows that you'll also do whatever you expect from them, they'll likely work hard to help you achieve your goal.



© 2009 90 Degree Coaching Ltd.

Kirstie Gillon-Wood is Director of 90 Degree Coaching Ltd., a company devoted to supporting women wanting to create independence, and achieve personal and professional success. You can learn more about Kirstie’s products and services at http://www.90degreecoaching.co.nz.

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