#1 – Lead by Example
This is by far the most important action and truth that any leader can do to thrive, succeed and survive. When you realize that you are the one that others will look to for guidance, inspiration and direction in all situations within the organization, you will understand why this is a must for all effective leaders.
3 key outcomes that you will achieve from your group once you start leading by example:
If you just show up and put yourselves out there showing your employees that you are not afraid to set the example of how to take the first step with courage and take action, your employee’s will gain respect for you.
When you lead by example, others will follow along because they respect you, you then create an environment where people build a sense of commitment to stick together and we experience collaboration and diminish fear.
Once you have collaboration, you have productivity, and when you breed productivity, you breed success.
#2 – Strive for Excellence – Accept Imperfection
As the leader we can never accept mediocrity, we have to push for excellence. We have to create an environment where the staff always seeks to be their best. When your employees don’t feel that they can dare to be their best, they will eventually stop innovating and stop performing. When we provide an environment where we encourage risks and allow them to fail, we create an organization where innovation is prevalent.
3 key outcomes that you will achieve from striving for excellence and accepting imperfection:
Once you remove that stigma that perfection is not required, you release employees who will do things that they would have never attempted before even though they may fail the first time. Great leaders know that the only way to be the best is to take the risk. Encourage your employees to fail by taking risks!
Freedom to fail encourages more risks and more innovation. Encourage your employees to take risks to become innovative!
When you encourage failure and risk as acceptable behavior, you build a culture of confidence. Encourage your employees to take risks to build confidence!
#3 – Build a Culture of Accountability
When we work together there is one common thing that we expect out of each other and that is that everyone in the group will do their part and show up. In order for everyone to do their part, it requires the leader to require that everyone be accountable for their actions and behaviors. More importantly, it is imperative that the leader begins the process by leading by example and holding themselves accountable first. The Leader Goes First!
3 key outcomes that you will achieve from building accountability within your organization:
By first holding yourself accountable and then everyone that you lead accountable you create an environment where people expect everyone to show up every day doing what they have been hired to do, and improve productivity!
Once everyone expects each other to show up each day they build a sense of self-management that provides the freedom for the leader to focus on the bigger vision of the organization because you don’t have to micromanage the staff.
Guess what happens next you get the chance to lead the organization to greatness!
#4 – Ask More Questions
One of the most important things you can do as the leader is to learn to “Listen before you lead”. Listening to what makes the employees in your group tick and get up every day to come to work.
3 key outcomes that you will achieve from your group if you listen before you lead!
There is a great quote from Theodore Roosevelt that says “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Once they know that you care, they will want to work with you to build a successful organization.
Employees will engage with you providing you with unsolicited feedback that you need to build a sustainable organization.
Once you have a group of people who realize that you care about them as an individual, you will have a staff of people who go to the ends of the earth with you when things get tough along the way.
Ask questions about their work and their interests outside of work, and engage with them on a regular basis to get to know them better.
#5 – The sum is greater than the parts
It is important for employees to know that we need them as a part of the team for the organization to be successful. Once they begin to feel like they are a part of the team with you as the leader then they will be willing to give more to the entire organization. A good team recognizes that we are only as strong as the weakest link so it is beneficial for everyone to want to see everyone succeed in whatever role they contribute to the whole.
2 key outcomes that you will achieve from striving to build a teamwork environment:
Teamwork will not happen if everyone is not doing their part so it is important for the leader to make everyone feel important and appreciated.
Once the team is working together there is appreciation from the employees, and you as the leader have just opened up the door where employees begin to become the drivers themselves of the processes and the systems because the team is working together. When all the team members are working for the same outcome, the ability to achieve greater success is bigger than ever! How would you like your organization to achieve success beyond your expectations?
#6 – We’ve Got This
Let it evolve – when you lead by example, you will begin to see a culture of engaged employees who will be inspired and become the heroes of the organization. When the leader guides the employees to be the heroes, the employees will guide their clients to be the heroes and when you pass on the concept that we build heroes who create clients who are heroes, everyone feels that they matter.
By walking through this 5 part process of Leading by Example, Striving for Excellence, Building a Culture of Accountability, Asking More Questions and by recognizing that the Sum is Greater than the Parts, you will have captured all of the critical key facts that will position you to become the leader of an organization where you guide and create heroes who breed heroes. When we build heroes we build individuals who feel a part of something bigger and ultimately inspired to perform bigger. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things!
