John Quincy Adams said, “A leader leads by example, whether he/she intends to or not.” Some leaders practice a different strategy, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Think about it. Which makes more sense? According to Psychology Today, People retain 55% of what they see, 38% based on the tone of what is said, and only 7% of the words themselves. That’s why emails can be very misleading. People can easily misinterpret the message without the benefit of the visual and tone. If you follow along further………., “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it…..”
To really model the way, strong leaders must clarify and articulate the values that will guide their decisions and actions as a leader, they must be able to align their stated values with their everyday leadership behavior, and they must have a clear vision on how to lead their team to a consensus on shared values.
We look for many special qualities in our leaders. Research indicates that there are certain characteristics of admired leaders in common. The following is a list of characteristics that typically come up:
Ambitions | Honest | Broad-Minded | Imaginative |
Caring | Independent | Competent | Inspiring |
Cooperative | Intelligent | Courageous | Loyal |
Dependable | Mature | Determined | Self-Controlled |
Fair-Minded | Straightforward | Forward-Looking | Supportive |
From this list, which seven attributes that you most look for in a leader, in someone whose direction you would willingly follow? Notice I said willingly. Which do you think people would say are your attributes?
When you start thinking introspectively about what characteristics of leaders are important to you, you begin to see how they align with your values. Sharing your values with your team is imperative. And you must do it with clarity and commitment. This type of communication fosters feelings of personal effectiveness, company loyalty and facilitates consensus about goals and stakeholders. It encourages ethical behavior and promotes strong norms about working hard and caring. People feel pride in the company and have a better understanding about job expectations.
Much of this research is taken from Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner’s program, The Leadership Challenge which we offer here at TEC Resource Center. It’s also a great book I recommend highly. One last quote, “If you are leading and no one is following, you’re just out for a walk.”
Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com