Lead by Example

Have you ever had a supervisor that held you to higher standards that they refused to meet?  How did you feel?  If you are like me you grew frustrated, annoyed, or downright disgusted as you tried to figure out how someone could require so much from you and so little from self.  Moreover, if you have ever found yourself in this predicament you probably felt less inclined to do the work that you were hired to do.  After all, why work hard if your boss isn't willing to do the same?  That's exactly how many of your employees feel if you are not leading by example.  I see employers make this mistake repeatedly then wonder why office morale is failing.  If you want your staff to work hard- you must set the tone.  You should not require early mornings and late nights from them if you only put in a 4 hour work day.  I know, I know- many leaders complain that they have more work to do, more meetings to attend, and more responsibility on their shoulders so they should be allowed to regularly sleep in or skip out early.  WRONG!! You have more meetings and responsibility because you're the boss.  You are getting paid more.  You agreed to lead a team. To that end, make every effort to prove to your staff that you are a trusted colleague.  Don't just be the boss- be a cheerleader, a supporter, an encourager.  Once your staff realizes that you are not a hypocrite they will respect your work ethic and consciously or unconsciously seek to mirror it.  Conversly, if you present yourself as lazy and flakey they will mirror that sentiment as well.  Take my advice- Lead by example.  Idealize what you believe would be the work ethic of a model employee and show that example to your staff in everything that you do.  Don't just lead, lead well! -Derek A. Terry, Principal Consultant www.ConsultingDAT.com