I think it was Zig Ziglar who said, “What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you say. The Colonel phrased it this way: Words are just words, kid. They don’t mean anything if you don’t stand by them with actions.”
This is one of THE most crucial leadership characteristics in the 21st century – walking the talk – especially if you are leading a team of millennials or Gen Zeds. Nothing will disengage a younger work force faster than an inauthentic leader. That means there are still only three ways to lead: by example, by example, and by example.
If you expect your team to work overtime, you had better be willing to work it with them.
If you are preaching corporate policy to your team, but not following it yourself, your team will stop trusting you.
If you expect respectful behavior from your team, but they hear you disrespecting someone (anyone – it could the wait-staff at a restaurant), they will write you off emotionally or leave you altogether because they can’t trust you.
Amid what is being called The Great Resignation, can you really afford that? People will make adjustments and concessions to continue working for and with a leader they trust. Once you lose them, they will be lost to the highest bidder – and that will be entirely about what you DO, not what you say. Authentic, significant leadership is a 24 hour a day responsibility and words don’t mean anything if you don’t stand by them with actions.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.