Leading By Example
When asked about my leadership style, I always respond by saying, "I lead by example." A good measure of one's success, then, would be to see others imitating you. I'm not talking about the mocking kind of imitation. But even this could be considered a form of success, because it is definitely a sign that people are paying attention.
One of the ways I learned the importance of leading by example was by being a parent. From the moment they are born, your children begin watching you to find out how to behave in the world. Do you enjoy life? Are you proud of the work that you do? Do you treat others with love and respect? Do you spend quality time with your family? You can bet that your children are watching your every move.
There's a country song by Rodney Atkins that expresses this point very well. It's called "I'm Watching You." In the first verse, a father tells the story of when he had to brake suddenly in his car, spilling his young son's drink. The son immediately responds by saying a word that "begins with an s and ends with a t." The father says where did you learn to talk like that? The son, very proud to be like his dad, responds by saying, "I'm watching you."
There are many parallels for leadership that we can learn from parenting. The importance of leading by example is a good one. Are those around you performing as you want them to? Maybe the answer is in your example.
After reading this I tend to wonder if this guy has any street supervisory experience. Being a leader is something that is constantly evolving. It is easy to earn a leadership position. The hard work is maintaining that position at a level where you gain respect from your subordinates. The most important part of being a leader is to develop or as I like to say "coach" the people that work for you. You need to guide them and not micromanage so they feel they have a part in what is being done in the organization. I hope Mr. Foreman can work hard and become a leader because I do not beleive he has earned the right to call himself one. That is just my opinion!
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Thanks for your comments, Joe. You are correct in many aspects. Being in a leadership position and exibiting good leadership skills are two very different things. This website was set up to share ideas on how to improve leadership skills. In this posting I talk about how being a good example is important in being a good leader and that if things aren't going as planned, maybe you (the leader) need to look at yourself. You don't have to tell me that I need to improve my skills. I'm always looking for ways to become a better leader and I'm very open to feedback. You sound as if you've had some leadership experience. I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences.
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Where can I find more information on the topic of this article?
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