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Leadership is waiting for you to show up every day. Leadership is waiting for you to demonstrate that you mean what you say. It is waiting for you to show others how to move forward. The sad truth today is that non-profits and for-profits alike are unclear in what they value. When this is true we settle for activity of any sort. Activity has become the new image of success. However if your leadership is not value-centric – your true voice – the outcome will be division and loss of cohesion on your team and in your company.

As a leader you have to walk the talk, not just talk a talk. Leaders must lead by example or risk not leading at all. At the heart of this matter is the subject of credibility. People will follow a credible voice. Credibility is the foundation of leadership. So the question becomes, “What is credibility behaviorally? The answer is “DWYSYWD – Do What You Say You Will Do!

Journalist and author, Alan Deutschman writes in his book Walk The Talk, “Leaders only have two tools at their disposal: what they say and how they act. What they say might be interesting, but how they act is always crucial.” The greatest distance that leaders have to travel is the distance between their mouth to their feet. Here are three insights to explore further.

Seeing Is Believing

The truth of leading by example is universally accepted. Cornell University professor, Tony Simons has coined the phrase, “behavioral integrity.” Simply stated, do what you say you will do. The simple truth is that companies whose employees felt their leaders behavior matched their words are far more profitable. This insight has also been validated by UCLA Professor Donna McNeese Smith. The ley take away here is that what is true in the business world is equally true in your everyday life. People do not follow other people who are not credible.

Leaders Go First

Here is a valuable lesson: “Learn to change yourself first and let others see your progress and then they will know how to follow.” People become cynical, disenchanted, and downright weary when leaders back away from or don’t do what they are asking of others. At the heart of this statement is keeping your promise. When you give your word that you’ll do something, and then you follow through on your commitments, it has a powerful effect on people.

Admit Your Mistakes

Nothing erodes and undermines credibility and your effectiveness to lead others than not being able to take responsibility when you have made a mistake. Kirk Hanson, Executive Director of the Markkula Center of Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University states; “This is the Achilles heel leaders. They believe they know it all and accordingly believe they will never fall.”

Kouzes and Posner in their book The Truth About Leadership, states, when you ask people what it means for a leader to be honest the response is, “They are willing to admit when they are wrong. I know they are capable of being honest with me and say they made a mistake” (p.114). It sets a positive example to admit failure.

The bottom line is that seeing is believing! Those you are leading have to see you living out the values you profess. Walk the walk!

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!

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