Leadership styles have a significant impact on team performance, employee morale, and overall workplace productivity. Although most business leaders and team managers understand the importance of training, goal setting, and establishing clear expectations, far too few realize the impact of their thoughts, beliefs, and actions on the workplace environment.
Great leaders understand the value of building strong workplace relationships while encouraging individual team members to reach their full potential. Since team members look to leaders for guidance, impactful leadership requires a firm commitment to sending the right signals, at the right time, for the right reasons. To ensure they are sending appropriate signals consistently, the most impactful team leaders lead by example.
Before a leader can inspire excellence in others, they need to consider the unspoken messages their actions convey. For example, a manager who habitually arrives to the office 15 minutes late is sending the message that punctuality is not a priority. A team leader who micromanages may not realize their actions could be interpreted as a general distrust of their team. A leader who fails to follow established procedures gives employees the impression that rules are not important.
By taking inventory of the many potential messages their actions convey, those in positions of leadership are better equipped to view themselves from the perspective of others. Evaluating their habits from the perspective of those they lead requires a significant amount of self-awareness, and the ability to provide honest answers to a few difficult questions, including:
Most people have less self-awareness than they realize. A leader who prides themselves on being assertive may be perceived as harsh or unyielding. Those wondering how their management style is perceived by others may want to consider asking a trusted source for an honest assessment. Leaders who take the initiative to cultivate self-awareness, understand their own motivation, strengths, and areas in need of improvement are far better equipped to influence others.
There is no place for hypocrisy in leadership. Leaders who assign unattainable goals, set unrealistic expectations, or point fingers when plans fail are creating a potentially toxic atmosphere of resentment, suspicion, and mistrust. The negative working environment increases the likelihood of low employee morale, decreased productivity, and high turnover rates.
Research investigating the impact of leadership styles confirm that supervisors who lead by example increase workplace productivity and improve overall team member engagement. By setting the example of expected behavior, treating team members in a manner in which leaders themselves expect to be treated, and engaging in the same level of participation they expect from their team, leaders encourage excellence. Team members generally respond accordingly. Just a few of the many ways successful leaders influence others by example include:
Leaders who lead by example also respect people’s differences, offer solutions rather than dwell on problems, and work alongside their team to achieve common goals. Leading by example encourages others to reach their full potential.
To attract effective leaders to your business, contact Platinum Group. Platinium Group is a full-service human capital management (HCM) resource that allows businesses to manage their payroll, benefits, compliance, track time and attendance, and other various human resource functions in a way that maximizes efficiency and eliminates redundancies with the platform, iSolved. For more information about Platinum Group or to schedule a demo of iSolved please visit our website.