People Do What People see

(motivation) By Dr. John C. Maxwell

In your life as a leader, many things are beyond your control. You can't control what your people say about you or think about you. You can't control the decisions prospective clients make about your company. You can't control your competitors' marketing tactics. You can't control the national economy, the stock market or the weather.

But in the midst of an ever-changing, often uncertain environment, there is one thing over which you have absolute controlâ€"your integrity. When it comes to being honest, principled and ethical, you are the master of your own destiny. Other people and external forces might test it in various ways, but at the end of the day, you alone control your integrity.

Integrity is all-encompassing. It's not something you demonstrate at home or church and set on a shelf at work. People of integrity don't live bifurcated lives; their morals, ethics, treatment of others and overall character are the same wherever they are, whatever they're doing.

This foundational element of leadership crosses geographic, religious,cultural and socioeconomic boundaries. As Federal Express founder Fred Smith says, "If you look at every religion in the world, they all have the identical Golden Rule, almost word for word. It does not make any difference what religion or geography it is. There are universally transferable fundamental truths about how you treat people in both the business world and in the larger scheme of things."

When you follow the Golden Rule and live with integrity, you set an example that has a far greater impact than any words you could ever speak. Why is leading by example such a powerful concept? I can answer that with five short words: People do what people see. It sounds so simple, but it's absolutely true. And it applies to so many areas of leadership.

First of all, it's the No. 1 motivational principle. If you want to motivate your people to go to a whole new level, get motivated to grow and develop yourself. Rememberâ€"people do what people see.

Second, it's the No. 1 training principle. When someone asks me, "How do you train your people?" I don't have to think twice about itâ€"people do what people see. If they see their leaders constantly learning and acquiring new skills and competencies, they'll be inspired to do the same.

Thirdly, "people do what people see" is the No. 1 mentoring principle. What do you do when you mentor someone? You flesh out your life for themâ€"you give them an insider's view of what you're experiencing and how you're handling it. The goal, of course, is for the person you're mentoring to learn from your mistakes and successes so that when they are faced with something similar, they make the right choices.

Finally, it's the No. 1 values principle. A company might spend a great deal of time formulating impressive-sounding values statements and core beliefs, but these principles don't mean anything unless the leaders in the companyâ€"from the corner office on downâ€"model them consistently.

Why is adhering to the right values such an important part of leading by example? Paul O'Neill, retired Alcoa chairman and former Treasury Secretary, gives us a clue: "If people can find even trivial examples of deviation, those deviations will become the norm," he says. "You really have to be almost religious in making sure that you don't do something somebody can point to in a negative way."

In other words, if you want to lead by example in a positive way, you must be committed to living a life of integrity. When you're right on the inside, you lead correctly on the outside. It starts with you and spreads out to everyone in your circle of influence. If you want to be a successful leader in turbulent times, live with integrity and lead by example. Remember : people do what people see.