LEAD BY EXAMPLE: THREE MORE ACTIONS TO INSPIRE TEAM SUCCESS

"What you do has far greater impact than what you say." 

Stephen Covey

A Gallup study found that leadership quality was the most significant factor in an organization's long-term success. It revealed that leaders must be examples because their behavior influences what employees see as the "real" organizational expectations. Beyond showing the way, modeling integrity, and pursuing excellence, leaders can further inspire success by displaying humility, positivity, and commitment to growth. These inspiring qualities strengthen the foundation for a motivated, resilient, and high-performing team.

Practice Humility

The Wall Street Journal published “The Best Bosses Are Humble,” highlighting humility as an essential leadership quality because today’s organizations increasingly pursue influential leaders who prioritize team success over personal recognition. Humble leadership is the attractive quality of being grounded, self-aware, empathetic, and respectful. Humble leaders do not think more highly of themselves than they should. They open-mindedly value the contributions of others by asking for input, which creates a culture of mutual respect and collaboration. Leaders who practice humility consider the needs and interests of others above their own. A study cited by Forbes shows that humble leaders are more likely to create healthier and more effective organizational cultures that (1) maximize employee potential, (2) coach and mentor, and (3) boost team morale, resulting in job satisfaction and high performance.

At a conference celebrating women in technology, Satya Nadella, early in his tenure as CEO of Microsoft, received backlash and an avalanche of criticism for his remarks advising women not to ask for a pay rise but to have "faith in the system" and rely on “Good Karma.” He apologized publicly, formally apologized on the Microsoft news center website, emailed all Microsoft employees, and acknowledged he was “completely wrong.” He also met publicly with women in tech groups to increase his understanding and supports programs to close the gender pay gap. Nadella said he learned a “valuable lesson” and described this as a very humbling learning experience.  Nadella’s actions modeled humility.

Leadership humility will inspire and motivate your team. When you lead with humility, your team sees you as a human being, not just a leader, which can foster a more open and collaborative work environment. Embrace humility by (1) acknowledging mistakes, (2) seeking feedback, (3) giving credit, (4) listening actively, and (5) encouraging open dialogue. This will create a culture where trust thrives, leading to a more productive, engaged, and successful team. Start today by taking one of these steps daily to inspire and elevate your teams.

Radiate Positivity

Positive leaders maintain an optimistic attitude and outlook despite challenges, setbacks, and disruptions. This quality is not about idealism or denying reality but demonstrating resilience and a will-do attitude that energizes the team with enthusiasm, hope, and a will to win. Positive leaders galvanize the team to approach obstacles as opportunities, barriers as building blocks, problems as pathways, and difficulties as defining moments that lead to the ultimate victory. By radiating positivity, you can create a culture of optimism and will-to-win within your organization. It can be the difference between winning and losing.

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and World Series Champion Wade Boggs accurately said, “A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, and it sparks extraordinary results.” His words affirm the power of positive leadership in achieving exceptional results. Spend time regularly with positive and supportive leaders who are winning. Allow them to uplift and inspire you so your positive energy can create a chain reaction within your team. Look at your obstacles and try to find opportunities out of them. Learn about leaders whose optimism enabled them to rise out of adversity so that you can energize your team to do the same when facing difficulties. Be mindful of the energy you bring into the room because your vibe will make a difference.

Grow and Develop

Leadership is a journey of continuous learning and growth. I remember speaking with a leader about the importance of ongoing development. He abruptly interrupted to tell me of his 30+ years of experience and that he did not see the need for continuous learning. I then asked if he watched a 30-year-old TV, drove a 30-year-old car, used a 30-year-old phone, or wore 30-year-old clothes. He responded, “No, these items were outdated, needed to be upgraded, and some are unusable.” Then he had his aha moment and realized why his later years of leadership were not nearly as effective as the earlier years. Our commitment to ongoing development is critical, and our consistent growth will be evident to everyone.

A study by Boston Consulting Group concluded that 95% of large companies surveyed viewed corporate learning as crucial to their future, while only 15% prioritized it. Learning organizations are led by learning leaders. Pursue professional growth and development opportunities through training programs, mentorship, or executive coaching. By prioritizing learning and development, you inspire your team to strive for excellence, continuously improve, and become the very best version of themselves. Here are a few questions to think about. Are you stuck or stagnant? Do you plan your growth and development for the year, follow through, and practice what you’ve learned? How often do you consume fresh content to hone your craft? Is your progress visible to others?

Set The Standard

Leading by example is transformational. Inspire and elevate your team by role-modeling humility, positivity, and continuous growth. Become that humble leader who builds trust and fosters collaboration, showing that success is a team effort. Create the positive energy that turns challenges into opportunities and energizes your team with resilience. Your commitment to personal growth sets a standard of lifelong learning and drives excellence for the people you lead. Be intentional about leading with humility, positivity, and visible progress to inspire your team to reach their maximum potential. Let’s get after it!

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LeaderLift equips individuals to “Lead by Example” through assessments, training, coaching, consulting programs, and keynote speaking. Our hands-on approach to leadership development helps participants lift their performance and make a positive and sustained impact within their organizations.

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© 2024 Dr. Clinton Parker III | LeaderLift. All rights reserved.