Lead by Example: 4 Practical Tips

We live in demanding times. It’s vital to ask yourself, day in and day out: What kind of example am I setting for my team? As a manager or leader, you’re always on show – every meeting, phone call and conversation sends a message.

Someone on your team is copying you right now, and what they’re most likely picking up is your attitude. Every interaction subtly shapes how others think, feel and behave. If you’re flat or disengaged, your team will feel it. If you’re upbeat and focused, they will reflect that too.

Organisations and teams inevitably take on the character of their leaders to some degree. Whether you’re managing two people or 200, your example sets the tone. Even how you treat the part-time receptionist becomes a signal to others about the culture and values of your organisation. So set an example for your people to follow. Make this a key principle of your management training programmes.

As the saying goes: leadership is example, persuasion, and compulsion – in that order. Leading by example is the first and most powerful way to positively impact your team.

“The three most important ways to lead people are: by example, by example, by example.”
— Albert Schweitzer

Four Ways to Lead by Example

1. Be Consistent

Say and do the same thing. Mind what’s called the “say–do” gap. Your words and actions must align, or credibility erodes. If you want your team to be energized and positive, you need to model that behaviour. The same applies to empathy and humility.

When you follow through on promises, trust grows. When you break them, it disappears. And when you fall short – as everyone does – and somebody comes up to you to question something you said or did, acknowledge the failing with grace: “You’re right. Thank you for pointing it out. I do need to do more work on that.”

This kind of humility sets the standard for how others should respond in tough moments.

“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means.”
— Albert Einstein

2. Communicate the Right Message

Ask yourself regularly: What message am I sending to my team?

Take something simple, like answering the phone. If we recorded your last internal call and played it back to millions of people, would you be proud of how you came across?

Leaders should sound engaged and upbeat, without being dismissive about the day’s challenges. If your tone suggests you’re frustrated or burdened, you signal that work is a struggle and you don’t like being interrupted. But if you project energy and optimism, you help build a team that’s ready to collaborate to take on the challenge.

“What you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. Use the Window and the Mirror

This idea comes from Good to Great, by Jim Collins. It’s simple but powerful.

When results are poor, you should look in the mirror, taking personal responsibility instead of blaming others or bad luck. When results are good, you should look out the window, crediting your team and external factors.

The effective leader takes most of the blame and gives most of the praise away.

4. Admit Mistakes

Nobody wants to be led by someone pretending to be perfect. That only creates distance and doubt. When you admit your mistakes, you give others permission to do the same.

Mistakes only get fixed when they’re acknowledged. Leaders who admit missteps foster a culture of trust, not fear. Bad leaders don’t admit mistakes and rarely apologise.

Research from Harvard Business School confirms that apologising can make us more likeable and trustworthy. It shows emotional intelligence.

As Professor Henry Mintzberg wrote: if you want to see someone’s flaws, either marry them or work for them. We all have flaws. Being honest about them builds respect.

Phrases like “I don’t know,” or “I got that wrong,” are not signs of weakness. They’re signs of authenticity which help to establish trust.

Leading by example is the foundation of all great management. It’s also vital to great management training.

Learn more about LDL leadership and management training courses.