Building a Foundation of Trust, Part 5 of 5

Part 5 of 5

Trust is a valuable commodity to have in our personal and professional lives.  This is part 5 of 5 in the series: Lead by Example.  You can begin the series here.

Basic Principle 5: Lead by example

Leading by example is the most powerful tool at your disposal.  Your team members and teammates are always watching you. They are watching not only what you say, but what you do! They are judging you to see if you really are committed to the team and building that trust we have been talking about. They will take their cues from your actions and what you say. You must be mindful to set the example in how you respond to challenges within the organization, how you address and handle new tasks and responsibilities, and most importantly, how you interact with others within the organization.

One of the best ways to lead by example is to continually look for avenues to act upon your beliefs and inspire the team. This principle is a very motivating, powerful, and inspirational principle in building trust within an organization. It sets the tone for growth and change within an organization. Simon Sinek wrote a great book on the subject: .  I encourage you to give it a read.

Here are five things to do to help you lead by example:

1. When you make a mistake, admit it and own it. During the change and growth process for any organization, mistakes will happen. When you make yours, take ownership of it and do not point blame at others. The idea here is to learn from them and pass the learned knowledge onto the team. It gives them permission to make mistakes, own up to them, share them with the team so the organization grows from those mistakes.
2. If it is not your decision, let it go. The idea here is to guide, and intervene when needed. If you have given a task to a team member and it is theirs, let them have it until completion or until they seek guidance from you. Micro-management sends the wrong signal to the team. However, oversight management sends a positive signal that you are there when needed.
3. Let others lead team meetings. Leaders do not build followers; great leaders build other leaders! Build and prepare team members to lead. This helps build confidence and for them to play a larger role within the organization as it grows.
4. Listen and defer to the team’s judgement, even if you have concerns. As a leader, you are positioning your team to lead themselves and make as many decisions for themselves without your approval on every little thing. Allow them the time and space to feel independence as a unit and decision makers. To have a mindset of “we have always done it this way” can be detrimental to growth. You never know, the team may discover and provide a faster and cheaper option to move forward in delivering the product or service.
5. Not matter what, stay focused on quality production. Even though you are developing team members and units, work still has to be accomplished. Work production should never be at a loss of quality work. The customer must have the best possible product they are paying for. If not, they will find another provider. Do not lower production standards for the sake of team development. Show that quality is always first in all that you do – product or people.

Zig Ziglar once said on the subject of ambition, “The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job.”  Be the example of success. Be the light that shines on others to the spotlight and accolades.