There’s No Room for This In Leadership

There’s No Room for This In Leadership

Now that the world is opening up, we are carefully and cautiously hopping back into our planes, trains, and automobiles to see our faraway loved ones.

But tell me… when you fly, how do you know what to do in case of emergency?

How do you know how to put on your life jacket? How to apply your oxygen mask? Where the emergency exits are?

Of course, the pilot instructs you to review procedures on the safety placard in the seat pocket in front of you.

But come on now – be honest. Do you do what they tell you?

Or instead, do you know what to do because they show you – because the attendants stand in the aisle and fasten their own life jackets, don their own masks, and point out the exit doors?

And when you’re on a cruise, how do you know which route you’re supposed to take to make an emergency exit? It is only because they show you and make you walk it before you ever leave the port, right?

Airlines and cruise lines know that John Maxwell was right when he wrote, "People do what people see."

And so it is whenever we lead. We see this not just in group travel, but everywhere. Have you ever seen a mother or father’s face after they hear a child repeat a phrase the parents never meant to teach them? It’s this same principle: people repeat the model you present to them.

This was a lesson I had to learn myself in one of my early leadership roles.

I was leading a team of engineers responsible for the software in automobile engines. Much of their time was spent in the workshop, where they needed to wear protective shoes. I spent only a little time in the workshop, so I would not bother putting them on.

But I soon had two realizations.

1. My team was always watching.

No matter who I was in the workshop to see, my whole team could see me every time I entered the workshop without proper footwear. Regardless of whether or not I intentionally decided not to protect myself, I was constantly communicating that safety was not a priority to me. I was cementing that image in their mind.

2. I had no right to enforce the rules if I was not following them.

Nothing kills morale faster than a double standard. It would have been easy to simply communicate to my team what they should do, but that instruction would have carried no weight if I was not substantiating it with action. That means constant alignment to the best of our ability. The most difficult person to lead is ourselves, but we can only make choices for ourselves – and if we want to influence others, we must model those good choices for them.

From then on, I put on my protective footwear every time I stepped into the workshop.

There is no room for "Do as I say, not as I do" in authentic leadership. Leaders set the tone for their team; they are in the spotlight at all times. If your words align with your actions, your team will take note and follow your lead.

As you go through your week, keep these questions in mind to direct your reflection.

1. What do your people see in you that helps them?

Where are you modeling strength, consistency, creativity, responsibility, and integrity? What positive qualities are you telling your team you – and your organization – value?

2. What do your people see in you that hurts them?

What blind spots might you have where your words and your actions do not yet align? What might you be unintentionally communicating to your team?

3. What do I see in me that I need to change?

Where can you make changes today or this week that will improve the model your team is repeating?

And if you need a thinking partner, I am always here to help. ??

That’s all for now.

Until next time,

Florin

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