Tag Leading by Example

How to Lead Your Leader

Steve Keating 1 Comment

Even good leaders needs a little help once in a while. Great leaders will accept that help from anyone, even the people who are more often following them. When you step up to “Lead Your Leader” you’re demonstrating not just your own leadership skills but also your willingness to do more than what’s required of you. You’ll be “leading up” in your organization.

Leading up can be dicey, especially if your leader isn’t exactly asking for help. Sometimes they may even resist your help. But your ability to navigate through those challenges will help prepare you for the next level of leadership in your organization. It’ll also help you stand out to the people in the organization above your leader. That will help you earn more, and better opportunities within your organization.

But understand this absolute fact… I am not suggesting you betray the trust of your leader. I’m not encouraging you to “go over their head” and I’m certainly not recommending that you do anything that would make them look bad or hinder their leadership in any way.

Leading up will at times require providing help that makes a positive difference without being noticed or receiving “credit” for it. It can’t always involve getting noticed or rewarded. Sometimes you’ll need to lead up for the simple reason that it’s the right thing to do.

Since few leaders ever reach the very top of their organization you will likely, sooner or later, find yourself in a position where the ability to lead up will be very valuable. To lead up in your organization requires that you understand the goals of your leader, their communication style, strengths, and weaknesses, and then using that knowledge to support and guide them effectively. Here are some steps to successfully lead your leader.

• Understand Their Vision. Take the time to understand your leader’s vision and goals. What are they trying to achieve, and why? Align yourself with their vision to better support them. If they don’t openly communicate their vision and goals then ask. In some cases merely asking the can help your leader crystalize their thinking and better communicate their expectations for the team.

• Build Trust. Establish trust with your leader by being reliable, transparent, and accountable. Show that you are committed to their success and the success of the team or organization.

• Communication. Communicate openly and effectively with your leader. Keep them informed about important developments, challenges, and successes. Understand their preferred communication style and adapt accordingly.

• Provide Feedback. Offer constructive feedback to your leader when necessary. This can include suggestions for improvement or highlighting areas where they excel. Be respectful and tactful in how you deliver feedback. This is where leading up can become dicey. This is why building trust with your leader is so important. When they know you have their best interests, and the best interests of the organization in mind, they are likely to be much more open to your feedback.

• Support Their Weaknesses. Identify areas where your leader may have weaknesses and offer support where needed. This could involve taking on additional responsibilities, providing training or resources, or offering assistance in specific areas of expertise. Offer support to your leader, don’t gossip about their weaknesses behind their back. Because if you do, you can forget about that trust you’ve been trying to build.

• Play to Their Strengths. Recognize and leverage your leader’s strengths. Encourage them to utilize their talents and skills to achieve their goals and the goals of the team.

• Be Proactive. Anticipate your leader’s needs and take initiative to address them. This could involve problem-solving, streamlining processes, or identifying opportunities for improvement. Do more than is required and do more than is expected of you. Don’t wait to be asked, offer to help instead.

• Lead by Example. Demonstrate leadership qualities in your own actions and behavior. Show initiative, integrity, and a strong work ethic, which can inspire your leader and others to do the same. This involves leading yourself exceptionally well. Remember, if you can’t lead yourself then you can’t lead anyone.

• Seek Collaboration. Foster a collaborative relationship with your leader, where ideas are shared openly, and decisions are made collectively. Encourage teamwork and cooperation among colleagues to achieve common objectives.

• Stay Flexible. Be adaptable and flexible in your approach to leading your leader. Recognize that leadership styles and priorities may evolve over time, and be willing to adjust your approach accordingly.

Leading people is very rewarding, that’s especially true when leading your leader. By taking these steps, you can effectively lead up. You can contribute to the overall success of your team or organization and you can develop your own leadership skills for the future.

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How to Develop Your Leadership Skills

Steve Keating 2 Comments

I talk to a lot of people who say they want to become leaders. Most of them don’t actually even know what that means. What many of them really want is a leadership position. They want the so called “perks” of leadership which of course frequently includes higher pay. They believe leadership is about them.

Authentic Leadership is about helping other people, often ordinary people, achieve extraordinary results. It’s about sometimes sacrificing what you want for the benefit of others. It’s about putting your own ego on the back burner so that the people you lead receive the recognition they need and deserve. Authentic Leadership is about truly, genuinely, and sincerely caring deeply for others.

Authentic Leaders don’t grow more followers. They don’t worry about building bigger departments. They don’t worry about more impressive titles or corner offices. They care about helping their people be successful, in their careers and in their lives.

Most of the people who say they want to become leaders fail to realize that they already have the opportunity to lead. They can and should be leading themselves every single day. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to lead other people if we can’t lead ourselves. Most everything that would one day make them an Authentic Leader they can “practice” with themselves.

If you are sincere in your desire to become an Authentic Leader, and not a leader in title only, then here’s some things you’ll need to know.

Developing oneself into a leader is a continuous and intentional process. A process that involves personal growth, skill development, and a commitment to leading others effectively. Here are some of the initial steps you’ll want to take on your journey to Authentic Leadership.

• Self-awareness: Understand your strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Reflect on your experiences and identify areas for improvement. Self-awareness is the foundation for leadership development so you better be brutally honest with yourself here. If you’re not then your ability to lead others will likely be dead on arrival.

• Set clear goals: Define your long-term and short-term goals. This will give you a sense of direction and purpose. Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable tasks to make progress more manageable. Goals are the stuff success is made of and that’s as true in leadership as in any other part of life.

• Continuous learning: Commit to lifelong learning. Stay informed about industry trends, leadership theories, and new technologies. Attend workshops, seminars, and conferences to expand your knowledge. The day you know all you need to know about leadership is the last day you’ll truly be leading.

• Build strong communication skills: Effective leaders are good communicators. Work on your verbal and written communication skills. Learn to express your ideas clearly and listen actively to others. Communication is absolutely beyond crucial for building trust and collaboration. I just can’t say enough about the need for excellent communication skills when it comes to leadership.

• Develop emotional intelligence: Understand and manage your emotions while being empathetic towards others. Emotional intelligence helps in building positive relationships, resolving conflicts, and motivating team members. A high EQ will help you developing an understanding of the people you lead. It’s that understanding that will help you build your heart into the caring heart of an Authentic Leader.

• Take on leadership roles: Seek opportunities to lead others, even in small ways. This could involve volunteering for projects, leading team meetings, or taking on mentorship roles. Practical experience is invaluable for leadership development.

• Build a strong network: Connect with professionals in your industry and beyond. Networking provides opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and exposure to different perspectives. Build relationships with people who can support your leadership journey.

• Adaptability: Develop the ability to adapt to change. In today’s dynamic work environment, leaders need to be flexible and open to new ideas. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.

• Decision-making skills: Hone your decision-making abilities. Leaders often face tough choices, and the ability to make informed decisions is crucial. Consider the potential outcomes. Consult with others when necessary. Take responsibility for your decisions.

• Lead by example: Demonstrate the qualities you expect from others. Be ethical, reliable, and accountable. Leaders must lead by example to inspire trust and loyalty from their team. And remember, loyalty is a two-way street. If you want people to be loyal, YOU must be loyal first.

• Seek feedback: Solicit feedback from peers, mentors, and team members. Constructive feedback provides valuable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. Authentic Leaders are not afraid to seek that feedback even when they think it’s not going to be what they want to hear. They use that feedback as a tool for continuous improvement.

• Stay resilient: Leadership comes with challenges and setbacks. Cultivate resilience to bounce back from failures and learn from them. A resilient leader remains focused on long-term goals despite short-term obstacles. As “they” say, “if leadership was easy, everybody would be doing it.”

Authentic Leadership development is a lifelong journey, and there is always room for improvement. Be proactive, embrace challenges, and continually seek ways to enhance your leadership skills. When you do, you’ll discover the rich rewards of making a long-term impact on the lives of the people you serve as a leader.

That’s worth way more than the “perks” mere leader wannabes will ever get.

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.

Look and Listen

Steve Keating Leave a comment

One of the primary responsibilities of leadership is to coach the people you lead. We coach to reinforce positive behavior, we coach to motivate, and sometimes we must coach for corrective action. 

Most often that coaching is in the form of talking. We advise, we suggest, and hopefully not very often, we tell. 

So here’s two pieces of advice for the next time you find yourself in a coaching situation. 

First listen to what you’re saying. I’m serious about that…really listen. In fact, record the conversation and when you play it back listen to what YOU said. Listen to the tone of your voice. Were you speaking in positives and possibilities or were you speaking in negatives and consequences? 

Were you specific in why you’re coaching or did you leave the person you were coaching wondering what the conversation was really about. If you were coaching for corrective action were you very very specific in what needs to change and when? Were you crystal clear in how that change would be measured? Did you leave doubt about your expectations? Any doubt leaves a gray area. Coaching for corrective action requires that you “paint” your expectations in black and white as much as possible.

It’s important to know that when you allow gray areas while coaching for corrective action you give people a place to hide from responsibility. Shades of gray make for a mighty comfortable place to hide from change as well. 

More important than listening to yourself is looking at yourself. As a leader your people will do what you DO far faster than they will do what you SAY. If you’re coaching them towards a better attitude and your attitude sucks then all the words in the world aren’t going to change their attitude. 

As their leader YOU are their model for successful behavior. Whether you realize it or not, YOU are leading by example. If your words do not match your actions then your people will have to make a choice.

Do they do what you say or do they do what you do? They may not believe what they hear but they almost always will believe what they see. 

They will do what you do!

If you’re going to help your people trust what you say then your actions MUST match your words. If you force them to make a choice between “say” or “do” they will choose do and your chances of truly leading them will go the way of the dodo bird.

In both cases, listening to yourself and looking at yourself, you need to be completely honest. Authentic Leaders do not lie to themselves. Do not cut yourself an ounce of slack, if you think your tone was too negative then fix it. If you find that your actions are not a mirror image of your words then change your actions or change your words. 

They MUST match. 

Remember, you may hold a leadership position but your journey to Authentic Leadership never stops. You can and should continue to learn and grow, exactly like the people you lead.

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!

First Person Leadership

Steve Keating 11 Comments

If the first person you lead each morning isn’t yourself then you’re likely having challenges leading anyone. 

You must lead yourself exceptionally well before you can lead anyone else. 

Leading yourself exceptionally well means doing what you say you’re going to do. It means controlling your attitude and choosing to do what you must to make certain your attitude is as positive as it can be. 

Leading yourself exceptionally well means thinking before you speak. It means choosing your words in such a way as to lift people up and not tear them down. It means considering the impact of what you say and the even greater impact of how you say it.  

Leading yourself exceptionally well means applying rules and policies equally with all of your people. It also means holding yourself 100% accountable to those same rules and policies. 

To lead yourself exceptionally well you must manage your emotions. You should avoid using your passion as an excuse for losing emotional control. As a leader you must know that you are the model of successful behavior. When you lose control of your thoughts and words you give license to your people to do the same.

To lead yourself exceptionally well you must prioritize those things that are important ahead of the things that are merely urgent. Never sacrifice the long-term growth of your people for the short-term growth of your business. It’s your people who will grow your business for the long haul. 

Leading yourself exceptionally well means realizing that time is one of your greatest assets. It means not allowing anyone or anything to steal that asset from you. It means you won’t use lack of time as an excuse for poor prioritization skills. Decisions on how you invest your time are principle based and focused on your goals and objectives. Leading yourself exceptionally well means never mistaking being busy for being productive.

As a First Person Leader you can never lose site of the fact that if you’re not leading yourself exceptionally well you can’t lead anyone else well either. Check yourself each morning and make sure that you’re meeting the same standards you expect of others. 


It’s how you earn the right to lead!


The Biggest Mistake in Leadership

Steve Keating 3 Comments

When it comes to businesses and the people who keep them running the rules are changing faster than ever before. This hyperactive environment presents unprecedented and unpredictable challenges to leaders everywhere, every day. 

 

Because everything else is changing it must be time to change how we lead. Right?

 

Well, maybe not. Actually not at all.

 

Leaders have behaved very much the same across the centuries. We know they come in different sizes, shapes, colors, and personalities. Yet by and large leaders do things, and get results, in similar ways. They always have and there is not a shred of evidence that’s going to change anytime soon.

 

Leaders don’t lead businesses, they don’t lead organizations and they don’t lead things. Leaders lead people and only people. Because people haven’t changed much since… well since there have been people on the earth, leadership hasn’t changed much either. 

 

Some would say that maybe people didn’t change before but with Millennials taking over the world everything is changing, even people. While there are some differences between the generations there are far more similarities. 

 

Leaders of today need to understand those differences. They also need to understand that despite huge changes in work environments, even bigger changes in the use of technology and the fact that for the first time ever we have 4 generations in the workforce, people have always had the same basic wants and needs.

 

People don’t want to be managed they need to be led.

 

Leadership means creating a vision. Leaders are the first to articulate an organization’s vision, and tell how they expect to make it a reality. The vision includes a benefit to all stakeholders. People will not follow a leader unless they know where the leader is going. They are also much more likely to follow a leader when there is something in it for them personally. As a leader you need to turn around once in a while to see if anyone is following. If no one is behind you then you may have a leadership title but you aren’t truly leading. Authentic Leaders bring their vision to life through inspiring initiatives and contagious commitment.  

 

Leadership means communicating Core Values. Leaders communicate values at the heart of an organization. They share the principles that both hold an organization together and drive it forward. Not only do Authentic Leaders communicate those values, they live them. When a leader’s words do not match their actions they will find their leadership walk to be a lonely one.

 

Leaders engage and encourage people. Authentic Leaders understand that their people are their greatest resource. They know that their success, and the success of their organization, is completely dependent upon the success of those people. Authentic Leaders invest a huge amount of time and energy in their people. Many people think of a CEO as a Chief Executive Officer. If that CEO is also an Authentic Leader then they are also the Chief Encouragement Officer. 

 

The biggest mistake a leader can make today is believing that the requirements for leadership success have changed. Leadership is about people and only people. Don’t jump at leadership “fads” and the people promoting “Millennial Leadership.” If you want to lead someone from any generation you’ll need to understand that no matter their age, they are people too. 


That also is unlikely to change any time soon.