“Leaders live in fish bowl and are always being watched. They should always be conscious of that fact and take advantage of it.” – Gene Klann

Leaders are being watched all the time. Every gesture, action and word is being closely observed. In a New York Times article, “He Wants Subjects, Verbs and Objects” based on an interview with Richard Anderson, chief executive of Delta Air Lines, by Adam Bryant, Richard makes the following point…

“I’ve learned to be patient and not lose my temper. And the reason that’s important is everything you do is an example, and people look at everything you do and take a signal from everything you do. And when you lose your temper, it really squelches debate and sends the wrong signal about how you want your organization to run. And it was a good lesson.”

Everything you do is an example. Leaders are closely watched all the time. You are not only being closely watched, your actions are also being assessed and people rapidly draw conclusions. Conclusions about..

• What is the right way to behave around here?
• What are acceptable ways of getting things done?
• What topics and ideas are “ok” to share and talk about? What ones are not “ok”?
• How do decisions get made?

You get the idea. This means that leaders need to be a people of integrity all the time. As person of integrity you do way you say and say what you do. You are a living example of how things ought to be done. This means leaders do the right thing even when they don’t feel like it!

So? How do you stack up? How good has your example been this week? What needs to change?

Related posts:

1. Fish Rot from the Head as do Organisations
2. Words to Live By……
3. Bob Parsons Rules to Live By…

Leaders influence others through their actions. Example is critical to effective leadership. The power of example is best illustrated by an old poem by Edgar Guest…

A SERMON

I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day;

I’d rather one should walk with me than merely show the way.

The eye’s a better pupil, and more willing than the ear;

Fine counsel is confusing, but example is always clear.

So I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do;

It is not enough to preach it, you must live the sermon, too.

For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,

But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

Reflecting on the above…

• How would you evaluate your example over the past week?
• Has your behaviour been aligned with what you say?
• If I observed your behaviour would I see you living your vision and values?

Related posts:

1. A Leaders’ Character is Revealed in Everyday Situations

Seth Godin’s post Authenticity builds on the issue of character which I discussed in a previous post stating that:

“Behaviour is the expression of our character. It’s the impression, the mark we leave on the lives of others. As leaders character is action and as leaders, we are judged by what we do.”

Seth makes a similar observation on authenticity stating that:

“If it acts like a duck (all the time), it’s a duck. Doesn’t matter if the duck thinks it’s a dog, it’s still a duck as far as the rest of us are concerned.

Authenticity, for me, is doing what you promise, not ‘being who you are’.

That’s because ‘being’ is too amorphous and we are notoriously bad at judging that. Internal vision is always blurry. Doing, on the other hand, is an act that can be seen by all.”

Character is not about intention… it’s about behaviour!

Related posts:

1. A test of a persons character?
2. Character results in the following leadership behaviours
3. Building the Character of our Future Leaders

Leadership is not about position or title. Influence, character and courage is fundamental to effective leadership, as quoted from the video clip below:

“Men don’t follow titles they follow courage…”

This is a great example of leadership in action…!

Related posts:

1. Character Sets the Foundation for Leadership

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar

“Leaders live in fish bowl and are always being watched. They should always be conscious of that fact and take advantage of it.” – Gene Klann

A critical path on the journey towards leadership is the development of character. The word character is derived from the Greek word charaktêr, which was originally used of a mark impressed upon a coin. Character is described by psychologist Lawrence Pervin as “a disposition to behave expressing itself in consistent patterns of functioning across a range of situations“. The result of character, is the mark that our behaviour leaves on the lives of others.

Behaviour is the expression of our character. It’s the impression, the mark we leave on the lives of others. As leaders character is action and as leaders, we are judged by what we do.

We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and judge others by their behaviour. This belief means that we are often blind to our behaviours, dismissing its impact on others as a mere miss understanding. After all, we understand our intentions and they are for good!  However, those who see our behaviours have no such insight. Leaders who manage their character effectively are acutely aware of this gap and actively seek to manage the impact of their behaviour on others.

Effective leadership requires that we become aware of our behaviours and the impact they have on others. We must become aware of how our behaviour is being interpreted. Having this awareness allows us to improve our character by changing our behaviour. As behaviour is the greatest expression of our character or lack thereof.

Reflect on the following…

• Are you judging your behaviour by your intentions?
• Are you aware of the impact of your behaviour on others?

Related posts:

1. Character Sets the Foundation for Leadership
2. Character results in the following leadership behaviours
3. Building the Character of our Future Leaders