All leaders have at one time or another heard themselves say, “I wish the people I lead would just do this, or do that.” If you haven’t, you will, because it is not ever guaranteed that people will do the things you teach them, or the things which have been proven to be effective for fulfilling the mission of our teams and organizations. Sometimes, even the people who are the most committed and loyal to the cause do the opposite of what we would want them to do. In those moments, I’m sure you have wondered if your leadership was at fault, and though we can’t do a thorough leadership assessment in this brief blog, there is one leadership activity which I have found to be most effective in steering teams in the right direction. Individuals may still go off and do their own thing, but without this key effort on the part of the leader, the odds of them doing so become much higher. It’s modeling. No, not the project runway type of modeling, but the modeling of the behavior which you want your people to duplicate.
In an article by Helps (2005), the author states, “Make sure that words mirror actions,” and discusses how behaviors can help to create a working environment of integrity and trust for the employees as long as communication and priorities are consistent. However, if the leader is perceived to be inconsistent in word or deed, the trust will be lost, and it will be very difficult for it to be re-established, if ever. This is true for both individual and corporate interaction. In a study by Pelletier & Bligh (2008), they examine how the behavior of the leader not only influences individuals, but the entire culture of an organization. They also deal with building trust among the team and make the point that, along with building trusting relationships, the modeling of the leader is “the primary influence on employees’ intent to behave ethically.” So, the bottom line is that if you want your team to act in a certain way, you need to make sure that you are acting that way first. You can’t expect the team to do things the leader is unwilling to do, and you can’t expect results that aren’t warranted by the leader’s commitment and actions.
In her book, Leadership and the New Science, Wheatley (1999) speaks to the importance of the interdependence of team members within an organization, including the leader. In addition, she reminds leaders that they are not operating in a vacuum, and that their actions and behaviors will ripple throughout every part of the organization. It all comes down to the fact that a leader’s actions matter. It goes beyond the words in a mission statement, or words said in a speech. The key is behavior. The thing that will make or break a leader, their organization, and the influence they will have in our contemporary society is whether or not the actions match the words. As Wheatley has stated, “Leaders do not operate in a vacuum.”
Wheatley (1999) also states, “The new science keeps reminding us that in this participative universe, nothing lives alone. Everything comes into form because of relationship. We gain courage from learning we’re part of a choir. We sing better when we know we’re not alone.” The analogy of “being part of a choir” is pertinent to the topic of the positive impact of leaders modeling good behavior, because human nature is such that it is sometimes difficult to act differently than the group of which you find yourself a part. In an organization, the norms, routines, and rituals (Nelson & Trevino, 2004) will often dictate what someone does and whether or not they will speak up in light of behavior they don’t feel is appropriate, similar to the way most choir members will not suddenly stand up and belt out a improvisational solo if the music calls for a phrase of unison singing. However, when a leader is courageous in the modeling of their high standards, and does, indeed, sing a solo instead of going along with the rest of the choir, it sends a message to the others that a new standard had been set, and that it is acceptable and encouraged to raise the bar. When the leader models, others will follow, and everyone wins.
Lead well.