Lead by Example

Leadership isn't defined by designations/ organizational hierarchies. It is inculcated over time and proven with an on ground track record for the team to follow.

"Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi “The world is changed by your example not your opinion.” Paul Coelho “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.” ~ Albert Einstein What does it all mean in today’s corporate world, especially for a leader? If you are in a leadership position in your company (As of now I am alluding to the position or designation, however mere designation does not make one a leader, you need to prove yourself, people should accept you as a leader, until then, designations hold only a business card snob value, I am coming to it). You are looked up to in your company.. People follow leaders, They want to be like you. The Leader must have worked and shown demonstrable results for rest of the team members to accept him as their leader. A leader with no results to show on the ground along with the effort to achieve them, does not hold much esteem in front of the team.

Vision follows top down, this has been an established norm in the corporate world, one disadvantage of this is the speed and agility with which any idea percolates downwards (especially in large and/or matrixed organizations), and if the larger organisation base does not idolize the Top, you are done with! Forget about the adoption of vision. It’s no surprise that hierarchies are crumbling (and righty so) in today’s corporate world, leadership and idea diffusion is happening in all three directions: in the direction of one’s seniors (those above in hierarchy), among peers and towards juniors. There are task groups being formed, squad culture emerging in some organizations. It is also very important to break this hierarchy barrier in your organization if you really want to breed good leaders.

Leadership is a journey, one learns along the way. Corporate and social situations are complex set ups, many colliding egos, perspectives, priorities, vested interests, politics. A leader needs to know how to navigate through this, prove him/herself, team should acknowledge this and accepts him/her as a leader, and then actually lead the team with all the aforementioned things happening simultaneously to ‘Collective Success’. That’s why being a good leader is so tough in today’s organizations and this is one the biggest reasons why most of the so called leaders (with designations) fail. Leaders also need to keep at it, keep proving time and again. The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle keeps continuing. It’s very important for a leader to keep the ‘lead by example’ running continuously. Many a times, leaders lose touch on the ground, leaving all the nut and bolts to the team and get too immersed in excel sheets, presentations and meetings (I am not suggesting micromanagement here, I am saying you need to be riding alongside your troupe on the battle field, not just sit in the office shooting directions). Team realizes this and un-accepts them eventually, once a leader of the pack falls flat, ultimately forgets to lead.