Would You Follow Yourself?

Leaders have to be what they want to see in others. The actions of a team will mirror the behaviors of the leader. The truth is simple…people do what people see.

There is a great parental statement I once heard that stated, “Children seldom listen to their parents, but they never fail to imitate them.” This statement makes complete sense, especially if you have kids and have experienced it…I know I have.

The other day while my family and I were out running errands, we got a call informing us that we were going to be having some unexpected company within the hour. We all know “the call,” don’t we? Panic immediately sets in as thoughts of the morning’s breakfast dishes piled in the sink, toys all over the living room floor, and toothpaste tubes left on bathroom counters enter our mind. We knew we needed to get home fast and pick up the house quickly. As we zoomed down the road, we gave our two daughters a motivating pep talk along with specific tasks to do to get things cleaned in a hurry. I specifically told them to make sure they had a great attitude when they started to clean since we had a lot to do in a few minutes time. I really stressed the “good attitude” part in my instructions! We got home and began to clean at warp speed. Our daughters did a great job. All was going well…and then my wife asked me to vacuum the living room…uh oh…vaccuum? I thought that was a bit overboard, so I huffed and puffed and argued with her about why I had to be the one to vacuum. My daughters immediately caught on to my unwillingness to take on the task laid before me and simultaneously said, “Daddy, have a good attitude!” I was clearly not setting the right example for my girls, and they noticed…I was caught.

In order to be a great leader, you have to learn to lead yourself first. I have found that the hardest person I have ever had to lead is myself. President  Theodore Roosevelt once stated, “If I could kick the person responsible for all my troubles I wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week.” If we are not leading ourselves well, we cannot lead others well. If we are having trouble motivating ourselves, we will have a hard time motivating others. Great leaders push themselves further than anyone else ever will. Walt Disney said, “Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” 

Lead from the front by modeling the behavior you desire to see. Ask yourself these questions, 

“Would you follow yourself?” 

“Would you be motivated by yourself?” 

“Would you be filled with vision if you were following yourself?” 

If the answer is yes, then congratulations, you are leading by example. If you answered no, then you need to start challenging yourself to get out there and become the leader you need to be. Get resources to help you grow as a leader. Get around people who will inspire you and mentor you. Get a leadership coach to help you be your best and lead others to be their best. You have to self-invest if you want to be the best.