Whether you realize it or not,
you are CONSTANTLY communicating about yourself, writes Robert Quinn in his
book, Building the Bridge As You Walk On
It. Specifically, everything you post, everything you say, how you treat
others, what you consume in terms of media and entertainment, everything you
do, etc. speaks volumes about who you really are and what you really value.
This got me thinking out loud that in a very similar way, as leaders we are
constantly teaching others whether we intend to or not!
When you dwell on that sleep depriving thought, it makes
perfect sense. As leaders, whether we realize it or not, the very fact that we
hold a leadership role or position attracts the notice and scrutiny of others. In
that light, we have the opportunity, not to mention the responsibility to teach others the attitudes, qualities, and
behaviors that lead to both organizational and personal success. Granted we can
do this in a very casual or exemplary manner or we can do so in very intentional,
mentoring ways. The best leaders do both by the way. With that in mind, what
can be the daily curriculum we teach? Here are some things to think
about that I bet you never even realized.
When you ask someone about their day and really listen and respond – you are teaching them about empathy and that you care about them as an individual
When you ask someone about an idea they have – you are teaching them you value their opinion and contributions.
When inquire about a mistake or error that was made but do not harshly penalize them – you are teaching how to fail forward and it is OK to do so.
When you reward and/or recognize someone for a job well done – you are teaching what is important to you.
When you congratulate someone for a personal or family success they recently experience – you are teaching that you are and how to pay attention to others.
When you mentor or coach someone – you are teaching how to invest in others.
When you clearly define expectations, you have for others – you are teaching them how to be accountable.
I think you get the idea. Of
course, being a usually positive person, I listed affirmative lessons above but
think about how the converse of these can be true. For instance, if you just ask
someone about their day but do not hang around to hear their answer, what
lesson did you just teach in that instance?
As a leadership educator, I
have a predisposition for curriculums and instructional design, but do you see
how you can be an outstanding leadership educator without a book or powerpoint
presentation? Do you understand the platform you have been given to impact the
trajectory of others? So, as you start the next work week, what is that ONE
leadership lesson you want to teach? You might as well be intentional about it
because they are looking and listening anyway! So, while you have their
attention . . ..
As always if I can help you and
the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact. I am also
pleased to announce the launch of my first book, Leading Out Loud: Strategies for
Raising Your Leadership Voice! available on Amazon.com. It may just
help you develop the leadership lessons that are important to you! Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and
enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a
mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be
critical to add value to your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant – Out
Loud Strategies
Independent Coach, Speaker,
and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
For more information on the
John Maxwell Team, please visit
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