No matter your industry, fostering strong leadership is essential for sustained growth and success in business. While leadership training programs and workshops have their place, one of the most powerful ways to teach your management staff is through leading by example.
Famed civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi once said, "An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."
This philosophy is useful in both personal and business relationships. As a leader, your actions, behaviors, and attitudes are a blueprint for your team members to follow. By embodying and sharing key skills, you can empower your team to become effective leaders themselves.
What Are the Benefits of Leading by Example?
Leading by example is among the best ways to cultivate a positive company culture and foster effective leadership within teams. Actions speak louder than words. When leaders consistently model the behaviors and values they expect to see in others, they inspire trust, respect, and commitment.
"Leaders set the tone," says Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce. "It's a simple concept, but modeling integrity and accountability is powerful for a workplace's overall culture."
Leading by example creates a ripple effect, as team members are more likely to emulate the behaviors they see in their managers and executives. This form of teaching is a powerful catalyst for organizational success and nurturing future leaders. Below, discover the skills business owners say are essential for creating leaders in your workplace.
1. Effective Communication
Whether it's conveying a vision to your team, providing sensitive feedback, or resolving conflicts, effective communication can make or break team morale and cement your reputation in the workplace.
"It's possible to have many weaknesses and still run a successful business," explains Micaela Beltran, CEO and Co-Founder of Courtly. "However, being a poor communicator makes it much more difficult to thrive in an increasingly cutthroat market. Effective communication is absolutely essential amongst executive leadership."
Be clear, concise, and empathetic in your communication. Setting the tone for how difficult conversations are held in your workplace can improve operations across the board.
2. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence has become a hot topic, and it's easy to see why. Leaders with strong emotional intelligence can expertly navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, preventing negative customer experiences, communication breakdowns, and high turnover rates.
"For a long time, emotional intelligence was underrated in business," shares George Fraguio, Vice President of Bridge Lending at Vaster. "It was more important to be seen as a dominating figure rather than an intuitive and observant one. Now, people are beginning to recognize the key role that emotional intelligence plays in successful leadership."
Emotionally intelligent leaders understand their own emotions and those of others, enabling them to build trust, manage relationships, and inspire loyalty. Show your team the importance of emotional intelligence through your ability to listen actively, empathize, and remain composed under pressure.
3. Adaptability
In a post-pandemic world, it's clearer than ever how turbulent market dynamics and world events can be. In this type of marketplace, adaptability is crucial.
"The past several years have been tough for business owners, no matter the size of their business," says Bridget Reed, VP of Content at The Word Counter, a random word generator. "It's shown how vital it is to adapt and pivot if you want to see long-term business success."
Demonstrate your adaptability to your peers and employees by actively embracing change, seeking out new opportunities, and encouraging experimentation within your team. Adaptability should start from the top down.
4. Problem-Solving Skills
Rather than getting discouraged by obstacles or bottlenecks, strong leaders approach these challenges with a solution-oriented mindset. They break down complex issues into manageable tasks and collaborate with others to find creative solutions.
"Being a leader means being willing to troubleshoot every day because you are the last line of defense," advises Shaunak Amin, CEO and Co-Founder of SnackMagic. "If that's not your cup of tea, this job might not be for you. You have to be able to problem-solve."
When leaders demonstrate a willingness to take risks and be creative problem-solvers, it fosters a broader culture of innovation. Being a strong problem solver means having patience and a strong work ethic, two traits that anyone can cultivate.
5. Decision-Making Abilities
Being able to make decisions efficiently is a hallmark of effective leadership. Making tough decisions and performing unpleasant cost-benefit analyses is an integral part of driving any organization forward.
"The person who can make tough choices for the benefit of the team tends to become a natural leader," says Titania Jordan, CMO of Bark Technologies, a company that provides safer phones for kids. "Sometimes, you need to make snap decisions, and doing that successfully requires preparation and good judgment."
Demonstrating the ability to make decisions based on data and logic rather than personal feelings or vendettas can reinforce the respect and trust you gain in the workplace. Strong judgment is a trait businesses value in all team members, not just the ones at the top of the corporate ladder.
6. Delegation
True leadership is about empowering others to take initiative and feel ownership over their work. Delegating tasks to others aids productivity and efficiency in the workplace while giving the next generation of leaders an opportunity to perform important tasks.
"It's important to feel agency within a work environment, even in an entry-level role," says Scott Anderson, Vice President of Performance Marketing at L-Nutra, a company known for their proprietary fasting mimicking diet, Prolon. "Delegation is a great way to empower employees to develop agency and good judgment right from the get-go."
Delegate tasks and responsibilities to your team members, providing them with the autonomy and support they need to excel. Try to avoid micromanaging, instead trusting in their abilities to get the job done and offering guidance as needed.
7. Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution is an incredibly valuable and underutilized skill in business management. Conflict is inevitable in any workplace, but effective leaders know how to address it constructively.
"Conflict resolution and de-escalation tactics are useful no matter what type of industry or business you work in," says Wendy Strgar, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Good Clean Love, a company known for their fertility lubricant. "Interpersonal conflict is unavoidable, and being able to negotiate peaceful and productive resolutions between employees is highly valuable."
Effective conflict resolution means fostering open communication, facilitating dialogue, and working toward mutually beneficial resolutions. Lead by example by handling conflicts with grace, fairness, and respect for all parties involved.
8. Continuous Learning
The best leaders know the value of being lifelong learners and are constantly seeking to expand their knowledge, skills, and perspectives. Cultivating an appreciation of consistent learning and growth demonstrates to employees that these traits are desirable within your workplace.
"Stagnation does not feel good, on a personal or professional level," explains Jim Mitchell, Chief Growth Officer of Awesome CX by Transcom, a company that specializes in customer experience solutions. "An atmosphere of continuous learning improves business operations from a deliverables standpoint, and it can boost retention rates and motivation along the way."
Cultivate a culture of learning within your team by investing in professional development opportunities, sharing insights and best practices, and encouraging intellectual curiosity. As a leader within your workplace, it's important to prioritize and provide these types of opportunities for your employees as you seek them out for yourself.
9. Resilience
Leadership is not without its setbacks and failures, but resilient leaders rise above adversity with strength and determination.
Sanford Mann, CEO of American Hartford Gold, advises, "When the boss has a short fuse, it influences everyone else to have a short fuse, too. Conflicts and setbacks happen to everyone, but as the leader in the workplace, it's doubly important to demonstrate an optimistic and resilient attitude. Employees take their cues from that."
Show your team the importance of resilience by maintaining a positive attitude in the face of challenges. This strategy allows you to bounce back from failures and complications more quickly, and it can make your business a more enjoyable place to work as employees model their attitude off of yours.
Practice What You Preach
By embodying these essential leadership skills and leading by example, you can empower your team members to become strong, capable leaders in their own right. Invest in their development, provide guidance and support, and watch as they rise to the occasion, driving success for themselves and the organization as a whole.
"Leaders get out in front and stay there by raising the standards by which they judge themselves and by which they are willing to be judged," says Frederick W. Smith, Founder and CEO of FedEx.
Remember, leadership is not just about what you accomplish—it's about the legacy you leave behind and the future leaders you inspire along the way.
