How often do you start doing what you want to see others doing? How often do you example the way you want people in your organization to work and behave? How often do you show your team members how they can fulfill the vision by setting an example? Believe it or not being an example for others matters. In this article I am going to share with you 5 reasons why.
You most probably have heard of the famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. Gandhi was a true role model because he was a true example of what he was saying. He would not say or claim anything unless he was practicing it himself. And that is why he could move his nation toward freedom. I always remember a story that I heard about exemplary leadership by Gandhi:
Once a mother took her child to Gandhi and asked him to advise her child not to eat too much sugar because it was bad for his health. Gandhi asked the mother and child to go and come back in 15 days. Fifteen days later, they came back. This time Gandhi told the child:”My son, please don’t eat too much sugar. It is really not good for your health”. To her surprise, the mother asked Gandhi: “Why didn’t you tell this statement last time we were here?” Gandhi replied: “Because I could not say something that I had not done myself. I needed 15 days to use less sugar and see the benefits. Then I could advise your son not to eat too much sugar.” That is what an authentic leader who leads by example does.
There are various reasons why leading by example matters. Following are five of them:
People need sample
One of the differences between leaders and followers is that followers need a model or sample to benchmark against. Benchmarking here means comparing one’s course of action and its quality with a set standard or example. As a leader, you initiate what you preach for and take the first step toward accomplishing it so that you become an ex-sample or example for your people to model and benchmark against. Without an example provided by leader, confusion may arise and people may not follow.
People need confidence
Many organizations come up with changes that need to be done for further growth and success. However, they fail to show the way through examples. When things are not clear people tend to fear change. They are not confident enough to embrace it. Leading by example gives people enough confidence to accept and apply the changes fully by following the role models.
If you don’t do it, it will never get done
Many of us have great and creative ideas. However, we fail to implement them by taking the first few steps because we think that our role is to create new ideas and implementing our ideas is the job of others. But remember that if you don’t initiate implementing your ideas, the chances of getting it done through others are almost zero. There is an old saying that if you don’t do it, it will never get done.
If you don’t start, you cannot expect others to start
Many executives think that they are exceptions. They think that their job is to set rules and standards and following those rules and standards is their employees’ job. This is a wrong mindset. As a leader, if you do not lead by example and start implementing the rules and standards that you set, you cannot expect others to start implementing those rules and standards either.
I remember a manager who was complaining about his employees coming to work around 9 am rather than 8 am, taking their lunch break after 1 pm rather than 12 pm, and going home after 6 pm. He decided to resolve this issue by asking all employees to come to work no later than 8:30 am, take their lunch break from 12 pm to 1 pm, and go home no earlier than 5 pm and no later than 6 pm. Do you think his plan worked? No. Why? Because he did not lead by example. As the manager, he continued his habit of going to work after 9 am, returning from lunch around 2 pm, and heading toward home sometimes earlier than 5 pm and sometimes later than 6:30 pm. He was not consistent and could not keep his own words.
Employees were talking about this for days. They were not taking his words seriously because they were watching the manager who was not implementing his own new rules and standards. How could the manager expect others to start implementing his orders when he was not willing to example the way?
You set the standard
Another reason why leading by example matters is that by setting an example and modeling the way, you show people how well you want them to do things. In other words, you set a standard. As such, you can expect them to at least meet the quality of the set standard. You can even encourage them to exceed the quality of the set standard.
If you cannot example the way, you are not a leader
Leading by example is a necessary characteristic of a leader. Therefore, if you cannot take the first steps in order to set an example for people to become encouraged and gain confidence for following what you say and meeting your expectations, you are not a true leader no matter what title or position you have. True leaders are followed by others because they create new pathways, take the untraveled path themselves first, and become searchlight by brightening the path for others. As John C. Maxwell said, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
So, now that you know why being an example matters, lead by example and become a role model for others through authentic leadership.
