Tag: respect

As a leader, it’s important to set the tone for your team. You want to be someone that your team can look up to and emulate. But what does it mean to lead by example? And how do you go about doing it?

Leadership isn’t about telling people what to do, but rather guiding them with your own example. The best leaders are self-models who show dedication by being professional and doing the right thing over the easy one, all of the time–even when they think no one is watching.

Let’s take a look at some ways you can set the tone for those around you and inspire others in their work

Respect

The dictionary defines respect as “a feeling of admiration or esteem.” When it comes to respect in the workplace, it’s a two-way street. Your employees should respect you because they admire your work ethic and have high esteem in your ability to lead. However, respect is also something that’s earned. Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean your employees will respect you automatically.

In order to earn respect, you need to lead by example. Show your employees that you respect their time, their effort, and their ability to do their job well. When you show respect, you set the tone for a respectful work environment and build the foundation for mutual respect.

We’ve talked about this in previous posts, but you should never look to publicly correct someone, shame them, or be overtly disrespectful. This seems like common sense, but we have all had a boss that treated us poorly and barked orders instead of articulating them. Unfortunately, that type of behavior can force multiply and create toxic leaders who believe the loudest voice holds the most authority.

Inspire

What does it mean to lead by example? To most, it means being the kind of person that others can look up to and aspire to be like. To me, It means having a strong work ethic and always giving 100%. Leading by example means setting a standard and following it yourself. It means approaching challenges in a methodical way, instead of trying to use brute force or avoiding them entirely. This doesn’t means always maintaining a positive attitude, you don’t have to skip through the halls singing; but you should leave the impression of confidence even in the face of adversity.

When you lead by example, you inspire those around you to do better and be better. You show them that it is possible to achieve anything they set their mind to. This is crucial because you do or will have someone on your team that doesn’t truly believe the can accomplish anything, likely because they are coming from a team with a poor leader.

Inquire

To lead by example also means to be inquisitive and get to know your people. It’s not just about giving direction but asking for feedback. You should conduct a debrief after every project to learn what could have been done better, this includes being receptive to constructive criticism about yourself.

If you’re not being inquisitive, you won’t get the information you need to make informed decisions. If you don’t ask for feedback, you won’t know what people are thinking or how they feel. If you’re not receptive to constructive criticism, you won’t learn and grow as a leader.

This also sets the stage for open communication. Your team should feel comfortable enough to come to you with questions, concerns, or unsolicited feedback on the project. I’m not saying anyone should be allowed to come into your office and say, “hey, I think you’re an asshole!” Rather, there should always be a channel for your team to express their thoughts and your team should be comfortable giving input. If you’re doing it right, I would say the odds of an outburst like that are low.

Accountability

Accountability is key. It means holding yourself and your team accountable to timelines, milestones, goals and action items. Performance is important, and if its not measured then it’s improved. At least, how could you know if it has? As a leader , it’s important to provide valuable feedback for your team as they fufill your expectations for them, as well as the ones they set for themselves.

Don’t forget, you need to be able to show that you’re following through on your commitments as well. That means being on time, meeting deadlines and taking responsibility for your actions. If you don’t keep up with your teams timelines, especially if they are highly effective, then you will create a bottle neck within your organization. Enable your team for success, then keep pace with them.

Composure

Leading by example means setting the standard for how you want your team to maintain composure under pressure, stay level-headed when emotions are running high, and always making decisions with a clear head. Remember, it’s not enough for just you to be able to withdraw [emotionally] from a stressful situation; your team has to be just as disciplined.

Of course, that’s not always easy. We’re only human, after all. But it’s important to remember that our emotions should never influence tough decisions with a lot at stake. The only exception to that is empathy. Even in the heat of the moment, we must always be aware of how our words and actions will affect others.

Otherwise, you could escalate the situation beyond saving. If we can’t eliminate emotion from our decision-making process, then we need to consult with our team members or superiors before moving forward. By modeling composure and restraint, we can set the tone for a calm and productive workplace.

Conclusion

So, what does it mean to lead by example? It means embodying the characteristics you wish to see overtly from your team. Setting a standard, then following through with yourself. Earning the respect of those around you and not demanding it or believing that you inherited it with the position.

You got to where you are now, a leadership role, by proving to yourself and others that you have a tenacious work ethic. If you continue to practice what you preach and always look to improve, you can expect similar habits from your team.

Did I say anything that resonated with you? If so, let me know at Gmail@SamKensinger.com