When I was a child, I was often awakened by rumblings in the back of the house while the sun was still down. Occasionally, I would brave the cold air in my Incredible Hulk underwear to see my father suiting up for work. He was up early, home late and always in a suit. I wasn’t sure of his profession; I just knew that I wanted to be like him. My Dad dressed well, walked fast and carried himself with dignity. That seemed like an honorable way to be. With this professional model set for me I had great expectations to fulfill. Expectations that I set for myself to someday be like my dad.
My introduction into professionalism was not drenched in content. There were not case studies, keynotes, or manifestos to read. I just knew that the man I looked up to had character. I knew it was the right way to be. He lead by example.
The fundamentals of Leadership by Example still have a prominent place in my mentoring. Speeches inspire, great presentations help set goals, relationships drive revenue…but actions always speak louder than words! A great differentiator between a manager and a Leader is the application of content. There are those who do and those who manage….Those who do both are called: Leaders!
So, how can we lead by example?
Practice what you preach
Do not feel obligated to justify your position
Stay positive
Show Us How
Too often, managers come off as polished speakers but when posed with a question regarding a directive they back track or flip flop. This is the greatest way to lose the trust of your employees. If you display that you have reviewed the PowerPoint but have not directly applied the directive, you are sabotaging your team. Input will not come off as a challenge if you know the “why” behind the “what”!
To use a sports analogy, every great leader puts on their cleats and runs the field (before the team arrives).
- New products and services have been surveyed and applied through the customer’s eyes.
- You, as a manager, have asked the tough questions of your boss in anticipation of what your team will think.
- A larger purpose has been derived in consideration of the time dedicated to an organizational technique.
If you are asked the applicable nature of an agenda item, and you do not have an answer, you do not deserve to ask your team to apply it!
Glory Days
If you are a great leader, your greatness speaks for itself. You do not need to re-iterate your resume or speak of how you once won a sales contest. True leaders allow their presence to speak for itself. If you are awesome at what you do, you carry it with your every step. You walk fast, speak directly and look sharp. You do not need to tell your team what got you here. Respect is earned through action not bravado.
If you are committed to your mission, it carries itself through your actions. Showing off references to prove you belong is a right turn down the wrong street. Always act like you’ve been there before; never bring pictures to prove it.
This is not a Complaint Window
Every employee needs to vent from time to time. The place to do that is in the privacy of their peers. As a leader, if you allow your team to complain to you about what isn’t going right, you create “a culture of can’t”. That is not your job. Complaints do not create solutions. No one has ever won by bitching.
You can create an open dialogue culture by allowing your employees to be themselves. This does not mean they have a forum to complain, it means they can express their personality without being judged. This is how trust is built. Employees are empowered by trust…the feeling that they can make decisions and be personally accountable to them. Employees want to be treated like adults. They do not want to be talked down to like children.
In summation, I will follow you through any forest if I am assured that you’ve been through the woods before. Prove to me that you can see the forest through the trees. Show me you know the difference between an order and a directive. Lead me to the clearing, shake my hand when we get there and we’ll keep hiking!
Lead, Follow, or get out of the way!
– Dave Kovacovich
