Description

We know we in theory we should lead by example, but we’re human and therefore not always perfect.

But the reality is, our team are watching everything we do, every move, every decision, everything we miss – and it’s what they observe, quietly, day to day that shapes their view of us as a leader, that helps them decide how they’ll behave and ultimately influences their performance.

A study from Gallup found that leaders and managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement. It's not salary, not the work environment, not their peers that matter most to peoples engagement at work –it's their leader.

So why is how we behave so important?

• We know the saying ‘actions speak louder than words’ - it certainly applies here. People do what we do, not what we say. If you say that you value work-life balance but work late every night, your team is likely to prioritize work over their own well-being as well.
• Your behavior sets the tone for your team: As a boss, your behavior sets the tone for your entire team. If you are consistently positive, focused, and productive, your team is more likely to follow suit. On the other hand, if you are negative, distracted, or disengaged, your team is likely to feel the same way.
• Values + behaviour = culture
• Behaviour modelling allows you to build a culture of trust and respect which leads to high performance.

Your team are watching inaction just as much as action – so letting someone get away with poor performance, failing to have a conversation that needs to be had, not owning up to a hiring disaster – that’s just as big as what you do.

So at each turn check your intention and your action. Take the action that needs to be taken and don’t tell them one thing and do another.