Being an exemplary leader means being an exemplary role model for your followers. Are you?

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According to leadership experts Kouzes & Posner, one of the key tenets of exemplary leadership is to ‘model the way’. That means consistently demonstrating a set of behaviours and skills that set an example for others to follow. As Gandhi put it:

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him … We need not wait to see what others do.”

So as leaders, when we aren’t getting the behaviours and actions we desire, particularly when we have a set of written values to guide those behaviours and actions, then it’s time to look in the mirror and hold ourselves accountable.

Sir James Porter’s ‘Observations on the religion, law, government, and manners of the Turks’ (1768), includes this:

‘The Turks have a homely proverb applied on such occasions: they say “the fish stinks first at the head”, meaning, that if the servant is disorderly, it is because the master is so.’

Recent events at Barclays Bank and News International seem to support this belief, even though there is no evidence of complicity or involvement by either Bob Diamond, former Group CEO of Barclays Bank plc or Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation.

So here are 10 questions to assess your situation and run a quick health-check:

  • In your organisation, do you turn a blind eye?
  • Do you have favourites?
  • Do you foster a culture of collaboration or confrontation?
  • Do you let your ego get in the way or do you act with humility?
  • Is the organisation/team there to serve you or is your role to serve the organisation/team?
  • Do you behave in alignment with the values of your organisation, consistently – that means every single day?
  • Do you do what you say you will do, when and how you say you will do it?
  • Nobody can see 360 degrees of themselves – do you have blind spots that may be a contributing factor and what are they?
  • Do you seek honest feedback on your behaviour and then act on it?
  • Is your performance/behaviour formally reviewed or is the appraisal process there for everyone else except you/your leadership team?

So, if you’ve been honest with yourself:

  • What insights has this quick health-check given you?
  • What 2-3 actions will you take as a result?
  • What will be the benefit for you/your team/your organisation?
  • Who will hold you accountable for the changes you’re committing to?

Post a reply and let me know what you think. It will be great to hear from you.

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