How to Lead Your Team by Example

As leaders, we are hoping our team members contribute more, work more efficiently and effectively, to be more engaged and committed to the team and the organization.  How do we encourage these behaviors?

As team leaders, if we expect team members to perform at a level of high productivity and quality and with civility, we must exemplify the same behavior. We must first expect more of ourselves if we expect more of others. We don’t need to tell others to work harder than we do. Instead, we set our own bar higher than anyone to achieve team goals and inspire others.

When we are on a team with someone who demands so much of themselves, we begin to demand more of ourselves. We rise to the occasion and do more than we would if we were working alongside someone who doesn’t hold themselves to higher standards.

This is what it looks like to lead through authenticity. Setting a good example is the first step to motivating people to do their best work; another is serving others to reach their goals. That means taking time to understand team members’ strengths, weaknesses, ambitions, and goals to support them and find the best way to leverage their skill set and interests to better serve them and the organization. By investing in them, you support your and your team’s success. If you approach leadership as disciplining poor performers, you are not serving them, your organization, or yourself.

Shift the mindset away from leadership through command and control towards a mindset of developing others and giving control.

It’s easier said than done. To learn how to accomplish this in your organization, the best approach is understanding the research to gain insight into what drives the best practices.

Sign up for a FREE 30-day trial of Mariposa Consulting’s Transformation Studio to continue reading and learning what the research indicates are practical approaches to developing leadership skills.

Interested in achieving business success for your company and its stakeholders? If so, check out our Transformation Studio program to get one-on-one meetings with Margaret. Or head over to our resources section of our website to read our blog posts and check out our podcasts. If you have questions, send us a message!