“If not me, then who? If not now, then when?”
When I ask audiences, “what do great leaders do?” The most frequent answer is “They lead by example.” We define the habit of Duty as “taking action based on our assigned tasks and moral obligations.”
It is a leader’s moral obligation to lead by example. Those words may not be in the job description for their role. But, it is still their Duty to lead by example because it is a moral obligation. As a leader, at work or at home, people are always watching and learning from the example we set. The question is, what are they learning when they watch us?
This is the fifth in a series of six blogs discussing character tests a leader must pass. But why must they pass these tests? Are they really that important?
I will answer that question with a question.
Which would you rather lead – a compliant group or a committed team?
When a leader fails the daily character tests we’ve been describing in this series, the best that a leader can hope for is a compliant group. People want to follow a Leader of Character. They will comply with someone who is less than that. But they will commit to a leader whom they witness exercising character.
Here are three tests a leader needs to pass if they want to do their Duty and set the example for the people they are called to lead.
- Always Look to Learn: Excuses shift responsibility away from us and onto other people or circumstances. In both cases, the message is, “I had no control, therefore I have nothing to learn from this.” A leader must always look for the lesson. By owning the outcome, even in unforeseen circumstances, the leader has taken the first step towards growth. Excuses are growth killers – for a leader and for those watching the leader.
- Develop More Leaders: The primary moral obligation of a leader is to make other people better. The job description may involve metrics and other measurable outcomes. But the leader’s real legacy is the people they develop during their tenure. If the leader is not intentional about growing others, the team will stagnate. People will see the leader isn’t invested in them, and they will become a compliant group.
- Get Your Hands Dirty: Empty a trash can. Train in the rain with the troops. Stay late when the team does. Visit the night shift. Cover the phones. Wash the equipment. We must demonstrate we are willing to do the messy stuff even when it is no longer in our job description. When we do, we demonstrate that nothing is “not my job”. Therefore, nobody on the team will be able to use that as an excuse. On a positive note, your example will lead others to do the same thing for each other. Things will get done that need to be done.
Exercising Duty means we pass these three tests and others that challenge our moral obligations. Two questions we can ask ourselves are:
“If not me, then who?”
“If not now, then when?”
When we lead by example by exercising our moral obligations and doing our Duty, our teams will not just be compliant. They will be committed. They will do things because they want to, and they will do more than the minimum. They will exercise the Habit of Duty as well, because they are watching you lead them. They are watching a Leader of Character do what Leaders of Character do.
Question:
- What can you do to pass these tests and set the example?
- How have other people inspired you by their example?
