What Lead by Example Means
It is not just about doing it, but also showing them.
Everyone says to lead by example.
In a nutshell, it means demonstrating the behaviors, attitudes, and work ethic you want to see in others.
Easy, no?
But no. It is not that easy. You assume that when you lead by example, you don’t just tell people what to do; you expect them to notice how it’s done and take over the principles and values.
Leaders who do it are wrong. You don’t want to wait for miracles. You need your team to function.
Make it visible
You go around your day doing your best. When you do, others will do, too.
No.
People need to see your actions clearly. So, you need to pull out a bit of theatre. Because you want others to observe you and emulate you.
Leaders are under more scrutiny than others. Every action has an impact. Use it to your advantage.
Be on a podium and influence your audience. Be aware of how what you say, and do affect and motivate others. Make them feel what you feel.
It’s about being a role model. People follow people, not rules.
If you follow rules and hope others will do it. You play it too safe.
Make yourself visible by, for instance:
Be present and engaged (speak at the meetings, ask questions)
Stay with your team (support your team with a tight deadline, show them you are willing to put in the effort alongside them)
Care about others (how much do you know about others?)
Make it visible, make it stick.
Communicate, communicate, communicate
“Decision has been made.” “We decided.”
If you truly lead by example, you always explain your reasoning to the team. Don’t just take action or make a decision. Link it to the core values, goals, and vision.
This helps your team see the connection between your actions and the example you’re going for.
Doing things in a certain way might feel enough. But that it is way too blurry for others. People need to understand what values and reasons lead to that process, management, etc.
Imagine answering these:
What is important to you?
Why should others care?
It may feel like overengineering. Do leaders need to explain themselves? Really? It depends.
From experience, communicating your values without words is often misleading and less efficient than when you combine actions and words.
Also, you communicate a lot more when you are in a new environment, and build new teams. With time, the ground is laid down and it needs less extensive communication because people know you, trust you, and follow you.
Communicate and be present.
Consistent leaders = good leaders
When you know what to expect, you feel comfortable.
Only consistent leaders lead by example. If your actions are inconsistent, others will be confused and ultimately annoyed.
Do your decisions depend on your mood? Bad example!
Consistency leads to trust and clarity. Consistency builds culture and communicates values.
Yes, we all work in a volatile and unpredictable environment. But even with constant changes, there are patterns you apply. Communicate these patterns transparently, and your team will thank you.
To be consistent, you need to commit. It’s like a serious relationship. You need to work on it every day.
If transparency is your core value, openly share both positives and negatives, successes and failures. You get the point, don’t you?
In good and bad. Consistency forever.
Intentionality
Some time ago, we recorded a podcast with Melissa Carson about intentional leadership,
Leading by example is active and intentional. You purposefully demonstrate the desired behaviors, such as:
Quality
Transparency
Support
and many more
You cannot ask others to be detail-oriented when you make mistakes in your presentations. Likewise, you can’t bother them with feedback when you forget to deliver one all the time.
Intentionality is aligning your actions with your core values. Every decision you make reflects the principles you want your team to adopt.
You are conscious about how you talk and what you say. You imagine how your actions influence your team.
Be intentional and reflect regularly on your behaviors. And when the time comes, ask the difficult question:
What could you do better as a leader?
Intention is not just about doing it, but also showing them how to do it.
TL;DR
Leading by example is a sweet hiring statement. How you do it is a completely different story.
Do it right this time, and make your behaviors, values, and intentions visible. Communication what, when, how, and why.
Be consistent, and you become a leader people will remember.
But let’s go to work now! Ivona
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