Lead by Example
“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.”
~Albert Einstein
One of the foundations of leadership in any industry is modeling the behaviors you want to see more of in your organization. If you are in the service industry like me, then you know how important this principle is to the people who serve on the front lines. Frontline team members are often critically important to customer service and satisfaction. Sometimes, they are the first impression customers receive of your organization and at other times they set the stage for the customer experience. The work is hard and how they operate depends a great deal on the leader’s ability to model effective performance.
It is detrimental to production when the supervisor who gets the team working then walks away to scroll on a screen for non-work-related items. Frontline leaders must be present with teams, not as a task master, but as a person helping the team be effective and productive. Leaders who model the behavior they want and are getting their hands dirty on the job build respect with their teams.
Quality production and effective customer service is the goal, so here are three things that will up your credibility as a team leader while getting results:
–Communication: Talk to your team, engage with them, don’t ignore them. Listen, be respectful and ask for their input. Don’t be a know it all.
–Empathy/Participation: Be empathetic to how hard they work. Jump into the work with your team, help them. Remember, this is our work, so don’t look down on your team.
–Collaboration: If you want your team to collaborate, to work together to problem solve and be productive, then be collaborative with them. Most teams catch the attitude of their leaders.
“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others, as what he does from day to day to lead himself.”
~Thomas J. Watson
As always, I want to know what has worked for you and your team. Let me hear from you.
Keeping leading by example,
Jeff
