Leading by Example

What is Leading by Example?

Leadership is a process in which an individual influences the behaviour and attitudes of other people. Leading by example helps other people see what lies ahead and act swiftly to counter any challenges along the way. If a person leads a group with poor leadership skills, they will experience frequent conflicts as each person wants to do things their way.

One of the responsibilities of a leader is to inspire other people to do the best that they can do for the benefit of the organisation. To achieve this, the leader must show them the way by getting involved in the process – leading by example. For example, a CEO may discourage unnecessary spending among employees to improve the business revenues. However, if the CEO changes his office furniture frequently, the employees will not take him seriously, continuing with the spending. But if the CEO stops unnecessary expenditure in his own office and works toward maximising revenues, the employees will often follow suit. 

Six Ways of Leading by Example

Leaders use the following ways to lead by example and inspire their followers:

#1 Listen to the team

Sometimes, a leader may get too busy giving directives and managing the team so that they forget to listen to other leaders and even their followers. Knowing how to lead means that leaders do not always know everything and that they can learn something new from the most junior employee. Also, most organisations hire staff based on their expertise and experience in specific fields, and the leader should learn to interact and listen to all employees. For example, if the manager is an investment expert, they may need someone from the accounting or marketing department to advise them on some issues.

#2 Respect the chain of command

Organisations implement an organisational structure so that each person in the company knows who to report to if there are challenges in a particular department. If a leader fails to observe these chains of command, there will be confusion in the organisation, and the employees will be demoralised. Also, if the leader does not respect the chain of command, the employees will find it hard to report to their seniors, and this will cause disharmony among the employees.

#3 Get your hands dirty

Although leaders are meant to give directions, they should know their trades well and get involved in the actual work. For example, a leader can lead by example by accompanying the marketing team on a field visit to popularise the company’s products. The leader should pitch clients the same way the marketing staff is doing, which will boost the team’s overall morale. Not only will the leader develop new skills and knowledge, but he will also build trust with the employees. Getting involved in the actual trade gives the leader a snapshot of the challenges the marketing staff goes through and helps work out ways to make their work easier.

#4 Deliver on promised results

Good leaders must deliver actual results rather than just giving promises every time. They must work toward getting tangible results and focus less on the past achievements that they have not been able to equal afterwards. Leaders can accomplish this by learning the art of delegation, where they can break down large tasks into smaller manageable tasks that can be assigned to one or more employees. They can then follow up to check if the work was done according to the required standards. Delegating duties helps to achieve results within a short time while getting everybody involved.

#5 Resolve conflicts quickly

Conflicts often arise between employees, leaders versus leaders, or leaders versus employees in organisations. How quickly the disputes are resolved determines how competent a leader is. A good leader should arbitrate when conflict arises to prevent the disagreements from stalling projects within the company. The employees should see that their leader has the heart and mind to embrace challenges to not break the organisation.

#6 Value people

Appreciating other people’s contributions to an organisation helps strengthen the relationship between the leader and the followers. The leader should exhibit good communication and listening skills so that no employees will feel inferior to other persons. Also, the leader should be honest, fair, and open to discussions that touch on the employee’s welfare. Valuing employees’ contributions to the organisation enhances the leader’s ability to interact with people in a meaningful way. 

Importance of Leading by Example

The following are the benefits of leading by example:

Organisational cohesiveness

When a company’s executives do an excellent job of leading by example, the personnel will show more commitment to achieving the organisational goals. They will drop the “me” mentality, take up the “we” mentality, and combine efforts to ensure they achieve the periodic targets. When a leader leads by example, it shows the employees that their bosses do not just sit and watch them build a business for them but also get their own hands dirty.

Respect and trust

A leader who leads by example positions himself as a credible person who deserves to be respected and trusted by the seniors and juniors. The staff sees the leader as someone who understands their plight rather than who only gives instructions. They appreciate what the leader does and work toward helping the leader achieve the organisation’s goals.

Trendsetters

The actions of a leader serve as an unspoken standard of what is appropriate for the organisation and what is not. The personnel observe their leader’s behaviour and use it as a benchmark in deciding how to present themselves. For example, if the leader loves to work until late at night, the employees will also try and work until late so as not to be seen as inadequate. Similarly, if the leader prefers to wear suits on the weekdays and casual wear on Saturdays, the employees will copy the leader’s lifestyle and dress similarly.

What other skills do you think are key to a successful leader? Leave the comments in the comments box.