Leading by Example

David Nikolich

I’m going to call it out… ‘Leading by example’ is an ancient and lame description of what leaders should be doing. If you ask any leader, they will each tell you that they do indeed lead by example and believe it, but what does lead by example truly mean?

ABSTRACT’s definition is this. “Influencing the behaviours and attitudes of others through the effective and efficient delivery of their organisations objectives and responsibilities”. OK, so perhaps too many words? But you get the sentiment, right!

To break it down, there are three essential parts of leading by example: -

Operational
Developmental
Strategic

Let’s take each one in turn.

Operational – This one covers the smooth functional running of the organisation’s operations, enabling the end-to-end fulfilment of their products or services. A good leader will understand the operational processes, but have a series of experts and deputies on hand to ensure delivery, whilst being available for opinion and oversight. A bad leader gets down with the weeds and enjoys sweating the small stuff, to quote Stephen Covey.

Developmental – This one focuses on the growth and development of all the moving parts within the organisation’s selected proposition. This very much includes people. A good leader will help create an ideal culture for their people and empower them to get involved, providing ideas for constant improvement across all levels of the business. A bad leader will solely focus upon the financials and margins, trying to increase revenues and reduce expenditure to achieve or improve their projected profits.

Strategic – This element covers the many plans of action aligned to the vision and purpose of the business, that will drive the organisation toward their BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). What the hell, let’s throw in a Jim Collins acronym while we’re at it!

A good leader will break their strategy down into a few simple buckets and load all the vital components into each one for simplicity and clarity. A bad leader will have a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle, but will keep changing the picture on the box while still trying to fit together a combination of all the original pieces.

So, next time someone asks you if you lead by example; Take a moment to reflect on whether you are readily available to ensure continuity of operations via oversight – and if you are regularly invested in the development of your people, products, and processes via others – and that you personally provide clarity and simplicity of strategic direction… before you answer.

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