Tag Lead by Example

Learning to Lead Before You Are a Leader

Steve Keating Leave a comment

Most people (and by most I mean almost all people) buy into what John Maxwell calls the “Destination Myth.” They wait for someone to give them the title of leader before they even attempt to learn how to lead.

They believe real leadership begins the day someone hands them a promotion, a team, or the corner office. What they fail to realize is that while you can be given the title of leader, you must earn the opportunity to actually lead.

Leadership, authentic leadership, is something you choose long before anyone gives you permission.

The best leaders I know weren’t waiting for their moment, a promotion, or a title. They were quietly creating their opportunity to lead every single day in small, almost invisible ways. Here are the key ways high-potential people practice leadership before they ever carry the title—and how you can start doing the same today.

Own Outcomes, Not Just Tasks

The moment you start saying “That’s not my job” is the moment you stop leading.

Future leaders treat the whole mission as their responsibility, even when no one asked them to. They volunteer to close the loop, follow up on the loose ends, and make sure the customer/client/team isn’t disappointed—even when it’s technically someone else’s area.

Look around at your current role today:

• What problem keeps getting kicked around?

• What small thing, if fixed, would make everyone’s life easier?

Fix it. Own it. No announcement is required.

Lead Without the Meeting

You don’t need a conference room to influence direction.

The most powerful pre-title leadership happens in casual conversations.

• Suggesting a better way during a 1:1.

• Asking thoughtful questions in team huddles.

• Sharing an article/resource that moves the thinking forward.

• Giving credit to others publicly.

These micro-moments compound. People start associating your name with forward movement, clarity, and generosity.

Mentor Before You’re Asked

Leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about making other people better.

Start coaching, teaching, and developing people now—even when you’re not the boss.

• Help the new person understand the unwritten rules.

• Offer to walk someone through a process you have mastered.

• Give constructive feedback in a way that builds confidence instead of crushing it.

The irony? The fastest way to grow your own leadership capacity is to help someone else grow theirs.

Model the Behavior You Wish You Saw

Want to know the fastest way to become the kind of leader that people want to follow?

Start acting like that leader today, even when no one is watching.

• Stay calm when things go sideways.

• Say “I was wrong; here’s what I learned” first.

• Celebrate other people’s wins louder than your own.

• Show up prepared and on time—every time.

People don’t remember what you said nearly as much as they remember how you made them feel. When you consistently make people feel capable, respected, and inspired, they’ll follow you anywhere—even before you have the title.

The Quiet Truth About Promotion

Long-term successful organizations don’t promote potential. They promote demonstrated leadership. The people who get the early opportunities are rarely the ones who waited the longest. They’re the ones who stopped waiting years ago and started leading in place.

So here’s your challenge this week:

Pick one leadership behavior from above and do it deliberately every day for the next 7 days.

No title required.

No permission needed.

Just make a choice to LeadToday.

Because the most dangerous place to be in your career isn’t being a leader without a title…

It’s being a titled leader who never learned to lead.

The future belongs to the people who are willing to lead before the world tells them they can.

Will you be one of them?

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Earning the Right to Lead

Steve Keating Leave a comment

One of the most common mistakes new leaders make is assuming that their position or title makes them a leader. It is as if one day they were individual contributors and the next day they were a respected leader. All because they have a new title or a position higher up in their organization.

But all the title or position does is give them the opportunity to earn the right to lead. It’s an opportunity that was available to them before they even had that position or title. They either didn’t realize it, or more likely, saw no need to earn the right to lead until they were actually in a leadership position.

But anyone who truly leads has earned that right by developing certain qualities and characteristics that inspire trust, respect, and commitment from others. They know that leadership is less about their title and more about the influence they build through their actions.

Here’s how you can also earn the right to lead.

1. Lead by Example

• Integrity: Do what you say you will do. Consistency in your values and actions builds trust.

• Work Ethic: Be willing to do the hard work. People follow those who demonstrate commitment. Never, ever forget that you’re leading by example, whether you intend to or not. It’s foolish to expect the people you lead to outwork you. You must show the way before you can lead the way.

• Humility: Acknowledge your mistakes and remain open to feedback and learning.

2. Develop Strong Relationships Throughout Your Organization

• Empathy: Understand and care about the needs, feelings, and challenges of others. Leaders who show empathy build deeper connections with their teams.

• Active Listening: Pay attention to others’ input, showing that their opinions are valued.

• Trust: Earn and give trust by being reliable, supportive, and respectful. We all have within us what I call a “credibility bank.” Every time we do exactly what we say we will, a small deposit is made into our credibility bank. Each time we fail to do exactly what we said we would do, a large withdrawal is made from that same credibility bank. That may not seem fair, but that’s the way it is. When your credibility balance goes too low, you lose the opportunity to lead.

3. Be Competent

• Knowledge and Skills: Demonstrating expertise in your field and continuously learning builds credibility. When people know you’re skilled, they’ll trust your decisions.

• Decision-Making: Be decisive but also thoughtful. Balancing analysis with intuition helps others to believe in your leadership.

• Problem Solving: Leaders who can navigate challenges and come up with effective solutions gain the confidence of those they lead. And always remember, you are not the only one in your organization with good ideas. Listen to your team; your success as a leader depends on it.

4. Serve Others

• Servant Leadership: Prioritize the needs of your team and help them succeed. When people feel you’re invested in their growth, they’re more likely to follow you.

• Support and Empower: Encourage your team, give them the tools and freedom to excel, and celebrate their successes, big and small.

5. Communicate Frequently and Effectively

• Clarity and Transparency: Be open about your goals, vision, and the reasoning behind decisions. Clear communication reduces uncertainty and builds trust. Information is the enemy of rumor. The more effectively you communicate with your people, the fewer productivity-killing rumors you’ll have to deal with.

• Inspire: Share a vision that motivates others. A good leader knows how to articulate purpose and drive passion.

6. Build Credibility Over Time

• Consistency: Leadership is earned through long-term behavior, not one-time acts. Be consistent in your character, values, and performance.

• Accountability: Hold yourself accountable for your actions and the outcomes of your team. When things go wrong, accept responsibility; when things go right, share credit.

7. Adaptability

• Embrace Change: Leaders must be flexible and open to new ideas. Being adaptable demonstrates that you’re capable of guiding others through evolving situations.

• Resilience: Show strength in tough times. People look to leaders for confidence and direction when facing adversity.

8. Emotional Intelligence

• Self-Awareness: Understand your own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. Leaders who are self-aware make better decisions and manage relationships effectively.

• Social Awareness: Recognize group dynamics, understand others’ emotions, and respond appropriately. This skill helps navigate complex interpersonal situations.

These are the qualities and characteristics that will help you earn the right to lead. By consistently embodying these traits, you build trust, respect, and influence. That ensures you have the commitment of the people you lead.

People in leadership positions who lack these qualities and characteristics can attempt to force the compliance of their people, but it’s unlikely they will ever have their commitment.

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I put a significant amount of time and effort into writing a couple of blog posts each week. My primary goal is simple, to help other people. That doesn’t mean a little financial support isn’t appreciated. If you’ve benefited from my efforts and think my posts are valuable, I’d certainly appreciate whatever support you might be able to offer.
But whether you can offer support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains. I hope you enjoy it!

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Are You a Model of Success?

Steve Keating 1 Comment

One of the things that frustrate many people in leadership positions is their people not doing what they are told to do. They don’t follow directions and frequently ignore what the leader says. 

It’s kinda true that many people don’t listen to what their leader says. That’s because they are too busy watching what their leader does. 

Authentic Leaders know that their actions speak louder, much louder, than their words. They know that people will do what their leader does about 1000 times faster than they will do what their leader says. Authentic Leaders know that they are the model for the behavior of their people. Not only are they the model for behavior, they are the model for their attitude as well. 

If you’re in a leadership position then you must be hyper-aware that your people are watching you. Always. They watch to determine if what you say is what you mean. If your actions match your words then they will do what you say. If your words say one thing and your actions another then they typically discard your words and do what you did. 

They know that while they may misinterpret your words they can clearly see what you’ve done. Doing what you do is “safer.” What you do likely helped put you into a position they would like to be in one day. It only makes sense that they would follow the example you set for them. 

You confuse them when you get frustrated because they did what you did. You may not realize that you’re leading by example but you most certainly are. Whether you intend to or not. 

Whatever behavior you “model” for your people is the behavior your people will give you. 

It works the same with the attitude your people display. If you demonstrate a negative attitude to your people then don’t be surprised when your people demonstrate one to you. If you’re leading a group of people with a negative attitudes the source of that attitude most likely looks back at you from the mirror every morning. 

Most people in leadership positions don’t like it, or agree with it, when I say that. They believe they are the sunshine in everyone’s day. Let me encourage you to look at yourself again. Maybe hit record on your smartphone and “listen” to yourself for a few hours. You may be surprised at how negative you sound…if you listen with an open mind. 

As a leader, do you cultivate an atmosphere where negative attitudes go to die or do you allow an atmosphere where negative attitudes can thrive? 

Authentic leaders know that when it comes to behavior and attitudes they will most likely get what they give. That’s why they work to consistently model an attitude of success and the behavior that goes along with it. 

Model the Behavior You Desire

Steve Keating 3 Comments

A whole bunch of years ago I was invited to speak at a conference for retailers of outdoor power equipment. I had work in some adjacent industries for years but I hadn’t worked with this specific group before so I didn’t know them well.

I was mingling a bit with them at one of the evening functions and happened into a small group of dealers. One of them seemed to be doing the majority of the talking. He was telling his peers about a new video camera system he had installed in his dealership. He had enough cameras that he could see every inch of his business with them. 

What made it really unique at the time was he could see the videos from his home over something called the internet. (I did say it was a WHOLE BUNCH of years ago.) He was kind of bragging that none of his employees could do anything without him knowing about it. Then he turned to me and asked what I thought of that. 

Well I couldn’t exactly tell him my first thought. That’s because my first thought was I was really glad I didn’t work for this guy. So I shared my second thought. I said it was actually only fair that he should be watching his people that closely. 

He asked why that was “fair” and I told him it was fair because they are watching him that closely too. I said that they watched every move he made. They weighed it against every word he said. They try to determine if what was done matched what was said. I said they were watching him to determine if they can trust him. They are watching to see if you’re the kind of leader worth following. 

I added that they are watching that closely because every leader leads by example whether they intend to or not. 

That’s as true for you as it was for that business owner. Your people watch every move you make and listen to every word you say. If those two things aren’t in sync they merely toss aside what was said and follow your actions. They do want you do about 100 times faster than they do what you say. 

Whatever you want your people to be you need to be first. However you want your people to think, you need to think first. However you want them to behave you need to behave. If you want them to have a positive attitude then you must have a positive attitude first. If you expect them to care for customers then you need to care for them first. 

As a leader you are your people’s model for the behavior they will exhibit. If you’re modeling successful behavior then you can expect the same from them. If you’re modeling behavior that will lead to something other than success then don’t be surprised when they do the same. 

What you model for your people you get from your people. If you want some changes from your people it’s more than likely those changes will have to start with you.

Your People Are Watching

Steve Keating 1 Comment

Leaders lead by example, whether they intend to or not. Their people are always watching them and they will do what the leader does far faster than they will do what the leader says.

That means that if you’re in a leadership position and your words and actions do not match then your people will follow your actions, not your words.

In times of difficulty, and these times are certainly that, it is imperative that you realize that you are the model for the behavior you want and need from your people. Very few people will outperform their leader in a time of crisis.

It’s also important for leaders to keep in mind that every person has this area in both their heart and head that NEEDS information. It doesn’t need accurate information, it just needs information. That area will get the information it needs come hell or high water. If it can’t find the information then it will make the information up. That type of information is called rumor.

I have never met a leader who thought that rumors were helpful. So keep this in mind…information, accurate, timely information is the archenemy of rumor. Rumor finds it much harder to exist in a sea of accurate and timely information.

So keep your people informed. You’ll be much better off with your people complaining about the ton of communication then you will be if your people are filling their information areas with fear filled rumors. Even bad and difficult information to hear is better than wrong information.

When times get challenging you simply cannot over communicate. If you’re wondering how much communication is too much I encourage you to risk what you may feel is too much information.

If you’re running a business in these uncharted waters you must remember to not lose focus on what is most important. No matter what you sell or what service you offer you are in the people business. The businesses that best take care of their people, both their employees and their customers will be the businesses that come out of the other side of this in the best shape.

The most important part of your business is people because we are all in the people business.

Now, wash your hands!

How to Build a Solid Leadership Brand

Steve Keating Leave a comment

The first step in building a leadership brand is to realize that if you’re in a leadership position you have one. The only question is are you branding yourself or are you being branded? 

 

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon says that “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

 

Your leadership brand is built from the total of what you do, how you do it and why you do it. There is no faking your brand. Sooner or later the authentic you is revealed and when it is that becomes your brand. 

 

To build a strong leadership brand you must first realize it’s not all about you. Your work experience and personal accomplishments matter but as a leader they pale in comparison to what you do for other people. 

 

Always be evaluating the best way you can help other people succeed and where you can add the most value to your people and organization. Once you determine that then you know where your focus should be. 

 

Remember that today more than ever your personal life is your public life. Your personal life reflects who you really are. What you do in your private life is your private life only as long as it doesn’t affect your ability to lead others. As someone in a leadership position, your personal life is open to scrutiny. 

 

Your ability to lead others will increase if people respect you. Posting your wild weekend behavior on social media does nothing to improve your credibility or your ability to lead others. You may see yourself as two versions of the same person but most everyone else will not make that same distinction.

 

Once you have a bit of credibility you can build on it by doing what you say you will do. How many times has someone told you: I’ll get back to you on that – then never followed up? Authentic Leaders don’t make promises they can’t or won’t keep. Trust is lost when promises are made and then broken. Keep your promises and you will build relationships built on trust. 

 

One of my favorite movies is Liar Liar about an attorney played by Jim Carrey. This attorney, a well known liar, was suddenly thrust into a position were he was unable to lie. He was forced to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. The complete and unvarnished truth. It caused him serious problems. People were actually insulted by the truth. But that was a Hollywood production. In real life it’s far better to tell the truth all the time. The worst thing a leader can do is to not be open and honest with people. Trying to hide information will always catch up with you. Tell people everything they need to know, even if it’s bad news. A lie can be forgiven but it’s hard for people to forget that you lied to them. You might not ever fully recover. 

 

Some leaders see their position as loftier than others. That causes them to look down on people, even if only subconsciously. Leaders with a strong leadership brand treat people as equals. The more “perks” you provide yourself and other leaders in your organization the more distance you put between yourself and the people you’re supposed to be leading. There is no question that top leaders in any organization have earned additional benefits and compensation, but be aware that leaders are in the spotlight in more ways than one. Too many perks can make that spotlight so bright that it actually melts away your leadership credibility.

 

As a leader you must make certain that all your people have the same opportunity to achieve the success that you have. Never lose sight of the importance of humility to a leader. There aren’t many things uglier in life then an arrogant person in a position of leadership.

 

It’s a worthwhile investment of a leader’s time to occasionally do a “brand check” to determine the strength of their leadership brand. Don’t trust yourself with this one….ask others, a coach or mentor for their opinion of your brand. Even more importantly, ask the people you lead how you are doing. 


If you get mixed responses that’s a good thing; your people trust you enough to be honest with you, that’s makes for a pretty darn good brand.

Are you a Role Model?

Steve Keating 4 Comments

Well, are you? The short answer, especially if you’re a leader or even just someone in a leadership position, is yes.

     

Your people watch you. No one is born with the knowledge of what it takes to succeed so they must learn it. They learn some of it by listening, some by reading, but mostly they learn from watching. If you are their leader or the person who is above them in a leadership position then it’s you they are watching. You MUST be their model of successful behavior!

     

So you absolutely are a role model. The only question is, do you model behavior that leads to success or do you model behavior that leads to something else. 

     

You can tell your people what to do and they may do it. You can show them and they will likely do it, or you can tell them and show them. If what you said matches what you do they will almost certainly do it.

     

Therein lies the problem for people who are leaders only because they occupy a leadership position. Their words often don’t match their actions. They have yet to learn that their people will do what they do long before they will do what they say. They are also surprised when they eventually learn just how closely they are watched by those who would follow them.

     

Authentic leaders are careful to make certain that their actions match their words. They realize that is the surest way to build trust and credibility and that those two characteristics are vital for leadership.

 

Showing your people what to do however isn’t really enough. Showing them how to do it is key. By “how to do it” I don’t mean how from a technical nature, I mean how in terms of attitude. 

 

You are their attitude model as well. Attitudes are contagious and no attitude is more contagious than the attitude of the leader. You may not appreciate hearing this but if your people appear to have a negative attitude then you must make certain that you are not the source. Maintaining a positive attitude is critical for effective leadership.

     

If your goal as a leader is to build other leaders then your words and actions must match and you must do everything possible to maintain a positive attitude.

     

So, watch what you say and remember, someone else is always watching what you do.