What sets teams apart? What distinguishes a strong team from a weak team? The answer may come as no surprise; leadership differentiates the two. Ethical leaders, for example, lead their employees by shining a light on the path forward. They also exhibit the traits and behavior expected to demonstrate at work.
When leadership strives to set an example, employees are prime to mimic their conduct. Setting the expectation ensures team members learn from the mistakes of others, contributing in a meaningful manner. But what exactly does it mean to lead by example, anyway? The ability to practice what you preach separates an inferior leader from an excellent one.
Leading by example is one of the best ways to guide others through a hands-off approach. Rather than utilizing words, a leader’s behavior must shine because of an intent to inspire. This act of “show, don’t tell” effectively generates the type of behavior sought in high-performing teams. In our current fast-paced world, modern leaders must align their routines, behaviors, and practices with core values they hope employees will emulate.
Your behavior should come from a real place, though. Employees are prompt to perceive the slightest inconsistency and contradiction from their leadership. For this reason, it is essential to align your heart with your company’s mission accurately and authentically. Ultimately, your purpose as a leader is to enact the change you hope to see benefiting your company.
Improve Employee Morale
Outstanding examples of leadership understand how their actions directly affect employees’ satisfaction, performance, and attitude. Those who work to lead by example also know it generates a boost to overall morale. By doing so, the company will experience increased productivity, loyalty, and more.
Building Respect and Trust
Those who practice leading by example understand how to gain the trust and respect of resulting employees. This type of leader is fully capable of managing their team, and employees often see them as mentors rather than a “boss.” This type of unity within a company goes to great lengths in also increasing customer loyalty, as well as commitment from employees.
Fostering Positive Group Culture
An organization’s character is often referred to as the culture, workplace culture, or even group culture. Often, it encompasses the business’s beliefs, behaviors, goals, and work practices. Leaders who lead by example dedicate time and effort to representing the workplace culture and company values daily. In turn, this level of commitment results in happier employees and the development of a positive group culture.
Increasing Productivity
Productive teams are empowered to do so by superior modes of leadership. When a leader is willing to jump in and participate in challenging work, sharing outcomes, and keeping commitments according to stringent standards, productivity increases across the board. This outcome doesn’t happen by chance but rather from a deep desire to make the team proud through participating in the work. A leader’s actions must align with their own words and prevent employees from wasting energy regarding the ulterior motive of their leader. Instead, they have been taught to improve processes effectively and efficiently.
The Signs of Failing to Lead by Example
Decreased Work Ethic
Leaders who struggle to set positive examples produce a decreased work ethic. Employees wrestle with the conflicts of performing well in such unsatisfactory conditions.
Lowered Morale
Poor leadership is the fastest way to kill workplace morale. Employees in this situation find it challenging to maintain motivation or obtain satisfaction beneath an untrustworthy leader.
Poor Retention Rate
New hires tend to be a rather costly aspect of doing business, especially in hiring and training. In addition, poor leadership often results in an increased turnover rate when they are left to lead and mentor newer employees in such a poor manner.
Failing Processes
The imperfections of a leader who fails to lead by example are fraught with an inability to demonstrate a critical view of processes and systems. In stark contrast, leaders who manage to lead by example teach their employees how to produce in an improved manner.
The influx of Workplace Accidents
If leadership fails to model acceptable behavior, team members aren’t taught prioritization of behavior at work. Ultimately, the company pays the price for workplace accidents and other costly mistakes as a result.
A Lack of Respect
Employees struggle to trust the decisions of management that utilize poor leadership skills. This leads to a total disintegration of hierarchy, especially when leaders fail to set the proper example.
Top Ways to Lead According to Example
Developing a Leadership Style
Leading by example begins with learning how to do so correctly. By taking advantage of the top leadership training resources available, you will position yourself to succeed in managing your employees. Leadership training provides the tools to improve mindset, model behavior, and build the skills required to reach peak performance.
Handle Conflict Constructively
If management struggles to manage conflict, you cannot expect your team to surpass its leadership style. As such, address conflict in a productive, calm manner that diffuses tension to discover a solution. Conflict will arise not only from your team member but also from superiors. For example, when your leadership begins criticizing you for an increase in cost in front of your employees, it provides an opportunity to react in the desired way.
While you could start by defending your decisions to explain away the increase in cost, you are better off addressing their concerns instead. This will pave the way for a brief, neutral explanation of the reasoning behind the rise. Then, the incident may be resolved with a quick follow-up, including a solution.
Kind Methods of Communication
Handling conflict is just the tip of the iceberg, opening up opportunities for various interactions and healthy dialogue. Communication lets you demonstrate concern toward your employees, customers, and superiors. Take the time to greet your team upon arrival at the office and politely answer any questions or concerns. Should a customer submit a complaint, navigate them toward a solution in an environment respectful of their problems.
Recovery from Failure
A regular part of life, failure can occur anywhere and anytime. As in day-to-day life, our decisions carry the weight of unintentional risk. How we manage the defeat or shame associated with such failure prevents us from a reattempt or realizing we get to try again. Never let a failure affect your life away from work in the pursuit of reaching your full potential.
Maybe your product sales have fallen flat, or the new launch failed to take off. Once you discuss the information surrounding your mistake, take a moment to address how to do it differently next time. The essential factor here is to get back on the horse once you have already been bucked.
Ethical Leadership Style
Behaving within the constructs of solid moral principles leads to the maintenance of ethical leadership. Company values should include transparency, fairness, integrity, honesty, and respect. To garner skills associated with ethical leadership, align yourself with solid values according to action and goals.
Additional ways to practice ethical leadership skills include: owning up to mistakes, treating employees fairly, being reliable, reporting unethical behavior, and doing the correct thing, even if you think no one is looking. Following the rules and valuing team members equally are just a few additional examples of ethical leadership.
Celebrating a Diverse Workspace
Embracing employees of all backgrounds is just one instance of becoming acquainted with your employees as their leader. However, what additional ways can you celebrate diversity? Create procedures that make employees feel welcome. Doing so imparts a sense of recognition to applicable employees.
Additionally, consider hosting an event for your employees to celebrate the positive differences between diverse cultures. A nurturing work environment where team members are poised to lead by example will go to great lengths in leading by example and fostering growth.
On the other hand, taking the time to consider where your team is failing to perform enables leadership to identify areas they may be of help, what they should be doing, and recognize one another as friends.
