As a leader, are you an Example or an Excuse?
The other day I was attending a conference at my church and the speaker was discussing how we are to be an example for others. This led me to an epiphany that it really does make a difference in our Leadership style if we “walk the talk” per say. The reason it matters so much is because if we are not being an example, then we by default are becoming an excuse!
Simply put, Leading by Example is guiding others through your own behaviors and inspiring them to do the same as you. This is a powerful leadership tool when you can model the behavior you wish to see in your team, and this leadership method provides a path towards the same goals as you work together in similar steps towards progress.
Leading by Example has multiple benefits for those who use it in their day-to-day encounters such as:
1. More Respect and Trust: I remember growing up, my grandparents always said they would never ask me to do anything that they wouldn’t do and that reassured me that I could trust them with their requests. Your team will trust and respect you if they know that you are humble enough to complete any tasks that you ask of them yourself, if needed.
2. Higher Productivity: Your team will work just as hard as you, so remember you set the pace for yourself and everyone! If it seems that you, as the Leader, are slacking off - your team will too!
3. Loyalty: If you are growing and improving, your team will want to be loyal and learn from you. Success is contagious and people who desire success want to be around successful people. You will see a reduction in absenteeism, a more positive atmosphere, and a willingness to help and do more for the overall good of the team.
4. Commitment: Positive leadership fosters commitment from people. When you lead by example and pour into your team, the response is significant commitment to your organization, your goals, and ultimately to you as their leader.
The biggest challenge with Leading by Example is consistency. You must be consistently consistent in order for your team know that you are willing to stand by what you say and follow in your path.
What if I can’t be consistent……Well, to be honest that would transform you into an excuse.
I’ve met many leaders that lead their team down the slippery slope to Excuseville USA. While there is a degree of excuse making that is considered normal/acceptable behavior, if you exceed that limit (which is a subjective limit determined by each individual separately) then you become a leader who cannot be trusted or mimicked. Mediocrity will not only be accepted in your organization, but it will slowly become a thriving organism which will be hard to evict from your team.
Ask yourself how often you say the following statements:
I am waiting on someone else…..
I do not have the budget…..
I do not have enough time…..
It’s my teams fault…..
I haven’t done this before….
Other people are doing it too…..
No one else is doing this….
I tried, but it was too hard…..
I’d dare to say that if you find yourself saying this more than two or three times per week, now is a great time to take inventory.
There are other actions that you must focus on to be sure that you aren’t becoming an excuse to your team, it’s not just focusing on what you say.
Ask yourself how often you’re exhibiting the following behaviors:
Show up late to meetings or don’t show up at all?
Fail to follow through with commitments?
Fail to follow your own policies/core values?
Reward mediocre members because of longevity or personal friendships.
Allow fear to prevent you from doing something you know you should do?
These behaviors can become a stumbling block for your team. As I mentioned earlier, if you are exhibiting these behaviors more than two or three times per week, it’s time to take a long hard look in the mirror and evaluate if we are residing in Excuseville USA.
And yes, I know that in Leadership, it is important to show ourselves grace as well as others on our team. We must allow for failures to allow ourselves to grow. However, one important component of that grace is making sure we are offering it equally to everyone. If you are giving yourself more grace than your employees, then that’s a problem.
It seems that there is research conducted now for almost everything and that holds true in the topic of excuses. Did you know there was a study conducted which showed that Americans make up to 6 excuses per day for a variety of items in their life? Rationalization has become the norm and if you do the math, 6 excuses per day for 1-year equals almost 2,200 excuses per year per person. While I haven’t been able to find any data on how much excuses cost a business, Forbes released data in 2021 that stated misconduct cost US businesses $20 million dollars annually. If ¼ of those misconduct cases were the result of excuses, then that would be $5 million dollars per year would be lost by businesses due to excuses. Excuses hold you back, they hold your team back.
So how do I transition my move from Excuseville to Example City USA? Very simple………………………... STOP MAKING EXCUSES!
Take responsibility for your actions, Recognize the need to step out of your comfort zone; fight fear of failure, focus on motivation, avoid associating and harboring excuse-makers on your team, embrace Honesty, communicate timely and thoroughly, and find an accountability partner. If your small business doesn’t have one, your Employers Advantage LLC HR Business Partner is a great resource to walk you through the transitional steps. And if they can’t for any reason, reach out to me – I’ll commit to help!
Let’s get back to Leading by Example which will create and maintain successful organizations and a successful team!
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