Leading by Example
“Great leaders don’t tell you what to do, they show you how it’s done” - Unknown
We all know that actions speak louder than words, but how many of us are actually living this? This is so important, especially in our businesses. And while it’s nice to have a Pinterest-ready inspirational quote next to your desk, you’ve got to implement these thoughts into action.
The secret recipe
I have a friend who’s the VP of People (aka badass) at a very successful / about to seriously blow up startup here in San Diego, GoSite. A part of me selfishly befriended her in the beginning because I wanted the inside scoop on what made this successful company tick. Was it all as awesome as it sounded from the outside, or was this company a delicate house of cards, ready to crumble at the slightest misstep?
Then the other week while we were grabbing coffee together, she shared with me that the team was invited to work through the weekend to hit their Q2 financial goals. To clarify, this was not mandatory! They had food, drinks and fun stuff going on to soften the blow.
But the most important detail she disclosed was that the founder, Alex, also came in on the weekend and was sitting alongside his team jumping on the phone in order to meet their sales goal. And guess what? People showed up, they crushed their goal, and people actually enjoyed putting in extra hours to work toward a collective target. This type of big win doesn’t happen on accident. Alex didn’t just tell the team what to do; he showed up and worked in the trenches alongside them!
How to start showing leadership
You can start to embody this philosophy today. Begin by asking yourself a few questions:
What type of leader are you? How do others in your company know you are a leader?
Approach these questions with a real curiosity about yourself. What does your leadership look like? Sound like? How do you know? As you answer those questions, allow yourself to think beyond the title. Yes, the employees know you’re a leader if your title includes manager or director. But if you rely only on the title to designate authority, you can miss out on the opportunity to become authentic, respected leaders.
A great resource to push into these questions more is Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan. The authors push leaders to approach conflict with curiosity and a desire to learn.
What are some things you can do to strengthen the leadership team and culture?
Listen. This means trying to understand why any rational person would be feeling the way the person is feeling.
Create a safe environment. Create an environment where mistakes are opportunities. People won’t push for improvements if they think they’ll be penalized for making a mistake.
Acknowledge failures
Shift communication from problem-oriented to solution-focused
Get your hands dirty
Act with integrity
Be thankful and give praise. This is so easy to do, make it a habit to lift your fellow teammates up.
Time to get started
It is clear how company culture affects the bottom line. We’ve seen it all before, so be curious about your own leadership style. Dig into how you can empower others in your organization to become leaders. Answer the question, How do you create a solid leadership culture in your organization? And get creative with the solutions. No matter what your role is within an organization, you can lead by example. From the intern to the C-levels, each person can make a positive impact.
My friend’s story is a perfect example of a leader who led by example; who was willing to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. No job is too small for these types of leaders, and it makes me SO. DAMN. EXCITED. to see a leader actually leading by example. Imagine what a company could look like if everyone treated each other by these rules. Wouldn’t that be something?
