“The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.” — Ed Mylett
Leadership isn’t just about sharing knowledge; it’s about modeling behaviors. You can teach your team every best practice there is out there, every skill, and every technical aspect of the job – but at the end of the day, they will mirror who you are more than what you say!
That’s a reality I had to face in my own leadership journey through some of our very tough growth years.
I learned a valuable lesson… We Teach What We Know, But We Reproduce Who We Are!
For years, I found myself frustrated with my team’s often reactive approach to problems. It seemed like we were constantly in firefighting mode, addressing issues as they popped up rather than preventing them in the first place. I would shake my head and ask myself, Why aren’t they ever thinking ahead? Why aren’t they solving problems before they happen?
And then it hit me: They were just following my example.
I had created a culture of reaction rather than a culture of preparation. I was always the guy who could step in, show up in the fire, help to fix the problem, and move on to the next one. But in doing so, I wasn’t building the systems we needed to eliminate those problems in the first place. My team was simply operating the way I had shown them – reacting instead of proactively leading. In a weird way, we got really good at it. But it wasn’t a sustainable model by any means. And it took a long time to break us of some bad habits.
The real difference in building up your team isn’t just in what you teach – it’s in your grit. The determination to change, to improve, and to set a higher standard starts right at the top. Your team will rise to the level of the example you set, not the level of the words you speak.
So, what do we do about it? We MUST commit to being the leader we want to see in others. What does this look like? I thought you’d never ask…
- Identifying Your Own Weaknesses – Be honest about where you are falling short. If your team isn’t taking ownership, ask yourself if you’re modeling accountability. If they aren’t thinking ahead, evaluate how well you’re planning and communicating properly.
- Building Systems & Processes, Not Just Solving Problems – Instead of just fixing today’s issue, build a process that prevents the problem from happening again. Teach your team to think this way too.
- Raising the Standard Together – Leadership is about pulling people up, not leaving them behind. If you’ve built bad habits, acknowledge them and invite your team to grow right there with you. The goal is for everyone to rise together! Say it louder for those in the back. The goal is for everyone to rise together!
If you’ve checked out reading this and are happy you’re almost done reading, don’t miss this part… Who are you reproducing?
Your team is watching. They are learning from what you do FAR more than what you just say. If you want a disciplined, proactive, and growth-minded team, that must start with you.
John Maxwell frames it like this… “Your leadership is not measured by what you accomplish, but by what your people accomplish because of your leadership.”
If you’ve built a culture of constant reactiveness, well… If your organization has been stagnant for the last few years(or longer)… I’ll leave that right there! I know.
Take an honest look in the mirror today and ask yourself – Am I leading in a way that influences and inspires the BEST version of my people? If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been. Growth starts with you. It always has and it always will. Your organization, and your Team will never outgrow YOU!