Walk Your Talk
Gregg Swanson, PCC, NLP
Helping High Performers Master Their Mindset?? Unlock Peak Performance & Achieve True Fulfillment!
How often have you run into a leader who’s been successful at guiding others by saying one thing and then doing something different? Not very often, right? That’s simply because it doesn’t work!
It’s highly likely that principles taught without the right examples being put into practice will eventually fall by the wayside.
Especially if you’re in a position of authority, it is of utmost importance to lead by example if you expect to gain compliance.
Leading by example will ensure these benefits:
1.????Support of the principles based on results. For example, if you’re teaching honesty, when people see for themselves that you gain the trust of others by being honest, they will likely see the benefits of being honest themselves.
2.????Full understanding of the principles. Just imparting principles to others isn’t always enough. In fact, the majority of people may have a completely different understanding of what’s expected of them.
3.????Cohesion and cooperation. This is particularly true whenever team effort is required. When everybody is on the same page, processes, departments and families run more cohesively.
4.????Respect. When others can see that you are fully complying with the principles you teach, you’ll ultimately gain their respect.
So what happens when you try to teach certain life principles but allow your actions to dictate otherwise?
领英推荐
You’re bound to run into any or all of the following situations:
How to Start Leading By Example
It’s very easy to outline your expectations; it’s the simplest part of the equation. And that’s a start, because at least you know what the principles are. As they say, “Knowing is half the battle” but in this case, it’s the smaller half!
It may take a lot of effort to really walk the talk and practice the behaviors that you want others to emulate. However, you can get started practicing this positive principle on a daily basis with only a small effort:
Start small and stick to your immediate circle of influence.
Once you’ve mastered one, move on to something else. However, it’s important to be able to give testimony to the fact that there are actually greater benefits to adhering to that particular principle than not adhering. There is an element of fulfillment when you can show others just what kind of actions, thoughts and behaviors contribute to a better, more wholesome outcome.
Walking the talk is a lifelong journey. There may be times that you’ll fall below your own expectations and the principles you aspire to uphold. However, what’s important is that you recognize it and take the necessary steps to get back on track!
Gregg Swanson is a mental strength and peak performance coach. He specializes in men in highly competitive, stressful environments, who want to gain back control of their lives, excel at their profession and build renewed confidence so they can crush it at work, home and life! You can grab his guide to Mental Strength 101 HERE.