What are the best ways to lead by example?
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— The LinkedIn Team
Leading by example is one of the most effective and inspiring ways to demonstrate your leadership skills and influence others. It means acting in alignment with your values, goals, and expectations, and showing others how to do the same. But how can you lead by example in different situations and contexts? Here are some tips and strategies to help you.
One of the key aspects of leading by example is being authentic and transparent. This means being honest, trustworthy, and consistent in your words and actions. It also means admitting your mistakes, asking for feedback, and learning from your experiences. By being authentic, you can build trust and credibility with your team, peers, and stakeholders, and encourage them to follow your lead.
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Zavahir Dastoor
Executive & Leadership Coach | Consulting Specialist-Culture & Organizational Effectiveness | Talent & OD | I partner with business leaders to enhance & transform their unique personal potential through guided coaching.
Leading by example means to lead with strength from the grit of your character, competence and values. Showing trust with a trust first attitude, compassion and the right influence sets up people for success. Leadership has always been about passion and energy rather than motivation and wielding power. It's about empathy, trust and respect. Leaders who spread positive influence are always in pursuit for insights & wisdom. Their success mantra is simple: If you win, you sure can lead. If you can't succeed, you can definitely guide. Of the many unique qualities, they possess the best of all is that they “make people and situations better” sounds simple but it takes enormous grit, focus and persistence to create those extraordinary results.
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Dev Raj Saini
|| Founder || 150,000+ Follower || Helping Jobseekers || Top Brand Development Voice || Top Personal Branding Voice || 150M+ Views ||
Leading by example is like being a role model for your team. It means showing them how to work hard, be honest, stay positive, and communicate well. You need to be accountable for your actions, keep learning, and empower others to take charge. Teamwork and respecting differences are important, and so is being open to change and adapting. Offer guidance and celebrate successes and remember to balance work with a healthy life. By doing these things consistently, you inspire your team to do the same, creating a positive and successful work environment.
Another way to lead by example is to set clear and realistic goals for yourself and your team. This means defining what you want to achieve, why it matters, and how you will measure your progress. It also means breaking down your goals into manageable steps, and prioritizing the most important and urgent tasks. By setting clear and realistic goals, you can show your team how to plan, organize, and execute their work effectively and efficiently.
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Simone Carstens
Managing Director | Supervisory Board Member | Mother | #lovemagenta 💕
Eine weitere Schlüsselkomponente von Leadership ist die Fähigkeit, klare und realistische Ziele zu setzen. Dieser Aspekt des Führungsstils erfordert, dass Sie definierte Ziele für sich selbst und Ihr Team festlegen. Es ist essenziell, zu verstehen, was Sie erreichen möchten, warum dies von Bedeutung ist und wie Sie den Fortschritt messen werden. Darüber hinaus sollten Sie die Ziele in kleine, handhabbare Schritte unterteilen und die dringendsten Aufgaben priorisieren. Indem Sie solche Ziele setzen, dienen Sie als Vorbild und zeigen Ihrem Team, wie es seine Arbeit effektiv und effizient planen, organisieren und ausführen kann. Dies schafft Klarheit und Motivation, um gemeinsam Erfolge zu erzielen.
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Milos E.
Your leadership style always shows in the way you set goals. Clear and well-defined goals provide a roadmap for your team, ensuring that everyone understands what needs to be achieved and the path to get there. How you frame your goals can influence your team's motivation and engagement. Inspirational and challenging goals can energize your team, motivating them to go the extra mile. On the other hand, overly ambitious or unattainable goals can lead to demotivation and frustration. Your approach to goal-setting also reflects your values as a leader. For instance, if you emphasize collaboration and inclusivity in your goal-setting process, it shows your commitment to teamwork and participation.
Communication is essential for leading by example, as it allows you to share your vision, values, and expectations with others. It also allows you to listen, understand, and empathize with their needs, concerns, and ideas. To communicate effectively, you need to use different modes and channels, such as verbal, written, visual, and digital. You also need to adapt your style and tone to suit your audience, purpose, and context. By communicating effectively, you can inspire and motivate others, and foster collaboration and innovation.
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Yara Paoli
Growth and organisational Psychologist, Growth Advisor for start-ups and scale-ups, Growth Leadership course director, ex VP Growth Skyscanner, Chief Growth Officer at Preply, Oda, board director, fractional CGO
It's worth being aware of some challenges in being an authentic leader, which I faced in the past: - Authenticity Balance: Striving for genuine leadership while adapting to others' communication needs. -Consistency Dilemma: Upholding a stable leadership image amidst varied communication styles. -Misinterpretation Risks: Adjusted communication might seem insincere to some. - Voice Dilution: Risk of overshadowing one's leadership essence by conforming too much. - Channel Proficiency: Mastering diverse communication modes without weakening the message. - Varied Stakeholder Expectations: Aligning to multiple expectations without conflicting values. - Feedback Balance: Being receptive without compromising core leadership principles.
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Mariel Campbell
Operations Executive| Google Project Management Professional| Change Management Consultant| Chair of the Young Professionals Community, CLM| AIC-M
Clear and effective communication is the foundation of exemplary leadership. It involves expressing your vision and values in a way that is easily understood by everyone in the organization, from entry-level employees to senior management. It's not just about sharing information but creating an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. For instance, during times of change, a leader can communicate through town hall meetings, email updates, and visual aids to ensure the message is clear to all. By being accessible and maintaining consistent communication channels, a leader can earn trust and motivate team members.
Leading by example also means empowering and supporting others to grow and succeed. This means delegating tasks and responsibilities, and giving them the autonomy and authority to make decisions. It also means providing them with the resources, guidance, and feedback they need to perform well and improve. Moreover, it means recognizing and rewarding their achievements, and celebrating their successes. By empowering and supporting others, you can create a positive and productive work environment, and enhance their engagement and loyalty.
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Simone Carstens
Managing Director | Supervisory Board Member | Mother | #lovemagenta 💕
Es ist wichtig, ein offenes Kommunikationsklima zu fördern, in dem Teammitglieder sich frei äußern können. Das bedeutet, zuzuhören und auf ihre Ideen einzugehen. Durch den Aufbau von Vertrauen und gegenseitigem Respekt können Sie ein starkes Team schmieden. Leadership bedeutet auch, ein Vorbild für zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen und ethisches Verhalten zu sein. Wenn Sie eine Kultur der Integrität und Fairness fördern, werden andere Ihrem Beispiel folgen und dies in ihrer täglichen Arbeit widerspiegeln. Kurz gesagt, Leadership bedeutet, nicht nur die Vision zu teilen und strategische Entscheidungen zu treffen, sondern auch aktiv daran zu arbeiten, dass Ihr Team wächst, gedeiht und erfolgreich ist.
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Haroon Khan
My book "Leaders Are Not Prophets" is available on Amazon.com & worldwide, link is below
Develop more leaders and coach or mentor them (based on the school of thought your organization followed). Follow best leadership practices and competencies so your team could follow you and you get the opportunity to inspire them. Empowering and delegating your team show that you trust them and in return they trust you as a leader. They will do anything to meet or exceed team targets which in reality is your targets (by accountability).
Finally, leading by example means modeling continuous learning and improvement. This means seeking new knowledge, skills, and perspectives, and applying them to your work. It also means embracing change and challenges, and experimenting with new ideas and solutions. Furthermore, it means reflecting on your performance, and identifying your strengths and areas for development. By modeling continuous learning, you can demonstrate your commitment to excellence and growth, and encourage others to do the same.
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Simone Carstens
Managing Director | Supervisory Board Member | Mother | #lovemagenta 💕
Als Führungsperson sollten Sie stets ein Vorbild sein, wenn es darum geht, kontinuierlich nach neuen Kenntnissen, Fähigkeiten und Perspektiven zu suchen und diese aktiv in Ihre Arbeit zu integrieren. Dies erfordert die Bereitschaft, Veränderungen und Herausforderungen anzunehmen und neue Ideen und Lösungen zu erproben. Darüber hinaus sollten Sie Ihre eigene Leistung regelmäßig reflektieren, um Ihre Stärken und Entwicklungsbereiche zu identifizieren und daran zu arbeiten. Indem Sie kontinuierliches Lernen und Selbstverbesserung vorleben, zeigen Sie Ihr Engagement für Exzellenz und persönliches Wachstum. Dies wiederum ermutigt andere, Ihrem Beispiel zu folgen und ihre eigenen Fähigkeiten und Kenntnisse kontinuierlich zu erweitern.
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Mariel Campbell
Operations Executive| Google Project Management Professional| Change Management Consultant| Chair of the Young Professionals Community, CLM| AIC-M
Continuous learning is a crucial aspect of effective leadership. It involves taking the initiative to seek professional development opportunities, staying up-to-date with industry trends, and incorporating new knowledge into one's work. Being adaptable, such as embracing change and encouraging the team to provide feedback, is essential. A leader should regularly engage in self-reflection, setting aside time every day for introspection to identify areas for personal and professional growth, thus fostering a growth mindset. By doing so, they enhance their capabilities and inspire their team to pursue continuous learning and improvement, which creates a dynamic, innovative, and resilient work culture.
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Dr. Birendra Singh
President at Mankind | Transforming Excellence
Leadership is continuous learning. Few steps are setting examples; • Trusting your team is first step • No blame game, take accountability of failures • Team should feel motivated in doing big targets • Realising to your team to get support in all circumstances. • Lead from front • Celebrates small successes. • Failure should be used for learning • Give always credit of success to team and own the failures. Team will do miracle under positive leaders 👍👏
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Athbi Alenezi
Co-Founder & CEO @justclean | Forbes 30 under 30 |
To lead by example in a startup, prioritize a strong work ethic, transparency, open communication, collaboration, adaptability, problem-solving, accountability, empowerment, continuous learning, and upholding company values and culture. Consistently demonstrate these qualities to set a positive tone and foster a productive work environment.