People follow the things their leaders do not what they say

Following on from “Walk the talk” my Google alerts pointed me towards J.C. Maxwell’s Law of the Picture. This idea deals stresses the importance of the examples leaders give to their people and focuses on 4 key areas.

1. Followers are Always Watching What Leaders Do

If the bosses come in late, then employees feel like they can, too. If the boss cuts corners, employees cut corners. People do what people see.

Followers may doubt what their leaders say, but they usually believe and imitate what they do. Former U.S. Army General and Secretary of State Colin Powell commented,

"You can issue all the memos and give all the motivational speeches you want, but if the rest of the people in your organization don't see you putting forth your very best effort every single day, they won't either."

2. It's Easier to Teach What's Right than to Do What's Right

Mark Twain said, "To do what is right is wonderful. To teach what is right is even more wonderful—and much easier." That's one of the reasons why many parents (and bosses) say, "Do as I say, not as I do."

I have long said to my clients that my passion for what I do is a consequence of me doing it myself and knowing that it works. Norman Vincent Peale said, "Nothing is more confusing than people who give good advice but set a bad example." whilst Maxwell says, "Nothing is more convincing than people who give good advice and set a good example."

3. We Should Work on Changing Ourselves Before Trying to Improve Others

Leaders are responsible for the performance of their people. Accordingly, they monitor their people's progress, give them direction, and hold them accountable. And to improve the performance of the team, leaders must act as change agents. However, a great danger to good leadership is the temptation to try to change others without first making changes to yourself.

As a leader, the first person you need to lead is you. The first person that you should try to change is yourself. My standards of excellence should be higher for myself than those you set for others. This is not easy or natural for many, but it is essential.

4. The Most Valuable Gift a Leader Can Give is Being a Good Example

A survey conducted by Opinion Research asked workers to select the one trait that was most important for a person to lead them. Ranked No. 1, with 26% of votes, was leading by example. Second, at 19%, was strong ethics or morals. More than anything else, employees want leaders whose beliefs and actions line up.

So it is time for all leaders (and consultants) to look in the mirror? Do we set high standards of capability, integrity, and investment in personal development and does HR make sure that this is a key part of the organisations performance management system? If not, we need to make some changes.