The Colonel often said, “Don’t tell your team what kind of leader you are. They won’t follow you because of what you say. Show them what kind of leader you are in your attitude and your behaviors. They will watch and follow you because of what you do.”
I believe there are three ways to lead: by example, by example, and (you guessed it) by example. If a leader talks about how the team should treat each other with respect and then disrespects someone, all credibility is lost. The team gets the message very clearly that it’s actually okay to disrespect each other, regardless of what was said. If the leader rallies the team together for a “we’ve all got to work harder” speech and then takes the afternoon off, the message that’s actually sent is very different than what was intended.
On the other hand, when the team sees their leader treating each person with respect, they will be more likely to follow that example. When the leader says, “We’ve all got to work a bit harder to make this happen,” and then rolls their shirt sleeves up, digs in, and actually works harder himself to get things done, the team will be motivated to work harder as well.
In significant leadership, there is no space for “Do as I say, not as I do.” Your team is always watching and will follow your example, whether you want them to or not.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.