There is a practice of leadership familiar to many of you called Model the Way from The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner. In so many words this means that the best leaders set the example for others by living their own stated values and those of the organization. They ensure their actions are consistent with their words. They do what they say they will do. Seems clear enough, doesn’t it?
Well, like most everything else you deal with as a leader, this practice is not as straightforward as it may appear. One person will argue with proof how a given leader is consistently modeling the way. Another person will completely disagree, citing equally compelling examples. I’ll bet many of you have a few of these same differences of opinion in your own teams.
We must all remember that the practice is not Model “My” Way. This would get translated as, “a leader must be doing only what I think is the right thing to do in order to be modeling.” If that were the case, then people who don’t approve of your decisions or actions will frequently proclaim your deficiencies in this practice.
What are your thoughts about this? Have you experienced it? Is it a legitimate perspective?
Check this out. For years we conducted values surveys within organizations. One of the consistent findings: the clarity on what any given value actually meant was quite low. There would be a wide range of differing definitions for each professed value. Consequently, there was little if any agreement on behaviors that would actually constitute true modeling of any of them.
So be aware that when “The” way is unclear, misunderstood, or strongly opposed, it will be impossible for people to see you “modeling the way.” There has to be some kind of consensus on values and principles that need to be modeled and what it looks like when that is being effectively done.
Therefore, you have to spend time with your people discussing and ensuring clarity about “The” way. “Here are our values, here is what they mean, why they matter, what they look like in action,” and so forth. Since no two people around you are alike, there will often be some differing interpretations about the complete meaning of any value. But being in agreement on the general understanding of each value will be a giant step forward.
One last point. When people greatly dislike you or they find you immoral, untrustworthy, or incompetent, they will say you are a role model all right… of everything that is wrong. Your acceptance as a leader is always tied back in some fashion to the nature of the relationship you have with others. Make sure you pay attention to what you are modeling in every one of your dealings with them.
All the best.
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