The Lead By Example
Latrina Cobbett
That doesn't mean that you get it right every time. But employees are quick to notice inconsistency and contradictions in their managers and leaders. Alignment is at the heart of being an authentic and genuine leader.
A great leader knows that their actions influence employee attitude, satisfaction, and performance. When leaders lead by example, morale goes up. This leads to greater company loyalty and higher productivity.
When a leader's actions and words align, the team doesn't waste energy trying to decode their intent or agenda. Through example, leaders also teach their teams to develop more effective and efficient processes.
Employees look to their leaders for clues about what is actually valued or important in the organization. When leaders don't model safe behavior, teams learn that it is not a priority. Without a good role model, teams may miss or ignore important workplace safety training. This can lead to costly mistakes and workplace accidents.
Did you lead a new product launch that failed to produce sales? Tell your team what you learned from your mistake. Did you help scale a sister company too early? Explain what went wrong and head to business training.
She then calls everyone into a morning meeting. Instead of leading with her agenda, Julie gives each employee a chance to voice ideas. She celebrates their ideas and asks them to create a proposal to bring their ideas to life.
Afterward, she moves on with her agenda and answers questions along the way. After the meeting, she offers to help her employees with their proposals. They happily accept her help, and the team works together to create an action plan.
Leaders lead by example when they set the standard of excellence they want their employees to follow. With strong ethical values and practices, you can help your team reach its potential. Leading by example proves to your team that what you say and do matters.
The Lead by Example Program supports State agencies and Municipal governments in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy costs across Rhode Island through investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transportation.
In May 2023, Executive Order 23-06 was signed which directed, "State Agencies to Lead by Example in Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy." This Executive Order updates the targets and responsibilities of the "Lead by Example" program within the Office of Energy Resources (OER) "to oversee and coordinate efforts at State agencies to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions".
The Lead By Example program provides important technical, procurement, and financial assistance to the public sector which enables them to implement clean energy projects and helps lead the way to meeting the greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates established in the 2021 Act on Climate legislation. The OER Commissioner is the Vice-Chair of the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4) and through the work of the Lead by Example program and other OER initiatives, we are committed to leading the State towards meeting our important climate goals.
A: Leading by example is critical to showing up as an authentic leader. To really inspire, grow, and build empathetic teams, a leader must model the values and behaviors they are hoping to nurture in others.
It also can make for a more accessible and compassionate leadership model. As a leader, a major part of my role is to encourage and coach teams to share in their personal wins and initiatives. The best way to do that is to provide clear, visible examples of how to create space for all voices, achievements, learnings, and inclusive, collaborative work dynamics.
Be real. So many leaders are hesitant to show vulnerability or admit that they may not have an answer. I've learned that being real and communicating transparently on a given topic reinforces trust and often opens up more dialogue. When you communicate directly, you and your team are able to find answers together.
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Leadership is a process in which an individual influences the behavior 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 group is led by a person with poor leadership skills, the group will experience frequent conflicts as each person wants to do things their way.
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. A good leader should understand that they do not know everything and that they can learn something new from the most junior employee. Also, most organizations 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 expert in investments, they may need someone from the accounting or marketing department to advise them on some issues.
Organizations implement an organizational 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 organization and the employees will be demoralized. 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.
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 afterward. 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.
Conflicts often arise in organizations between employees, leaders versus leaders, or leaders versus employees. How quickly the conflicts 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 so as not to break the organization.
The actions of a leader serve as an unspoken standard of what is appropriate for the organization and what is not. The personnel observe the behavior of their leader and use it as a benchmark in deciding how to present themselves.
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A manager who has no respect for rules and no intention to abide by them is sure to become a reason behind low morale and bad team discipline. Why should teammates be at their workplace from 9 AM to 6 PM, as stated in their company policy, when their leader may not show up at work at all? Why should they complete all tasks on time and respond to all messages right away, when it takes their manager days or even weeks to respond?
A manager who wants to not only earn but retain the same level of respect throughout their tenure has to follow every rule and guideline and set a good example for their team. It is much easier than losing its trust and respect and trying to earn it back. That is near impossible.
As part of our karate program, not only is our goal to increase a child's strength, coordination and flexibility. We also focus on developing the principles of self-discipline, self-control and self-esteem.
Our focus is to give you the best individual or group training experience in Fairfax, Springfield, and Great Falls, VA. Our instructors are here to help you conquer your personal goals and set you up for success in your life.
We offer training in for people of all ages and experiences, helping them reach their fullest potential and become the best that they can be. We take pride in building a family atmosphere that is open to learning and growing
"Truly outstanding place. We were referred by a neighbor, have referred another neighbor, and that neighbor in turn has referred another neighbor. This is all within just a few months. Both of the Lightfoots are exceptional with children and the entire faculty (including student faculty) are consistently welcoming, patient, and firm. This is a great studio especially for younger children."
"I have two sons who have earned their black belts at the Fairfax studio. While they both excelled in the physical requirements of TKD under Master Lightfoots' tutelage, they benefited more from the core message in the methods: Leadership means being the first to set the example in effort and attitude, both inside of the studio as well as outside. This very simple yet important messsage is reinforced constantly and after only a few months my sons understood that this was a minimum expectation. The training is excellent, the studio culture is better!"
"My son, Cameron, has been attending this school for a little over one month now and I have been so pleased. He is 4yrs. old and Master Lightfoot and his wife are amazing in their interactions with the children. They make Tae Kwon Do fun while teaching them kicks and punches. I'm always concerned that some teachers might not be as patient the smaller the children are, but they know how to break the art down to it's most elementary level so the children understand. In addition to building skill with high fives and smiles, the instructors also include a small "mat chat" in each class. This is where all the students sit around the teacher on the floor in the "smart position" (indian style) and they reinforce life lessons like believing in yourself, when to use the art, etc. I would write more, but I'm going to run out of space. In short, and don't tell them this, but for the lessons they teach I would pay even more.....shhhh!"
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