How to be a leadership role model
Becoming a role model means making a conscious effort to improve your leadership style. With a few key strategies, you can inspire your employees to approach their roles enthusiastically. Follow these tips to strengthen your leadership practices.
1. Be authentic
Authentic leadership means operating with compassion, integrity and self-awareness and holding your employees to the same standards. An authentic role model stays true to their core values and refuses to sacrifice them to get ahead.
Consider strengthening connections with your employees by developing professional and interpersonal relationships in each interaction as employees may be more compelled to follow a leader with a genuine approach.
2. Prioritize transparency
Transparency can have many meanings in the workplace. As an employer, it might mean being straightforward with your actions, communicating openly or cultivating an atmosphere of trust and psychological safety. No matter how you interpret it, transparency plays a key role in turning an employer into a true role model.
Being transparent can show team members that you value their insight and abilities enough to be open about professional matters, which may lead to higher engagement and better workplace relationships. It may also encourage employees to be more honest with you, resulting in an environment where workers can freely express their thoughts without repercussions.
To practice transparency at work, make sure to clarify your expectations. This could involve providing more detailed project guidelines, goals or sales targets. It can also mean being open about organizational concerns—not just successes.
By including employees in these discussions, you show a vulnerability that may make you a more approachable role model for your workforce.
3. Lead by example
A key part of being a leadership role model is demonstrating behaviors you want to see in your team. Rather than telling employees how to adhere to the company’s core values, you should demonstrate those values. For example, if you want to encourage your team to maintain a healthy work-life balance, you can model this by using your own PTO, avoiding work after business hours and actively encouraging your employees to do the same.
Leading through action gives your team a firsthand example and shows dedication to company values. This can turn an abstract organizational culture into an actionable mode of operation.
4. Ask for feedback
Seeking constructive feedback from your team is part of being a successful role model. Feedback offers an important glimpse into employee perspectives, and it shows you’re open to growth. Consider administering a survey to your team or conducting one-on-one interviews where individuals can share their thoughts in a safe space.
While you don’t have to act on every suggestion, using actionable ideas shows you listen to feedback, which can boost employee satisfaction.
5. Keep learning
Even with healthy authenticity, transparency and accountability, there’s always room for leadership improvement. By acknowledging there are learning and growth opportunities regardless of role seniority, you might stir a stagnant team into motion.
Try embracing opportunities to learn something new, whether it’s from a fellow leader or a team member. Being open about your professional goals can show employees there’s always something new to strive for and may lead them to follow your example. Investing in learning opportunities to educate employees can also demonstrate your dedication to improvement.
Why leadership role models matter
Becoming a good role model requires more than offered guidance and support. Using the strategies listed above can turn you into someone your employees can look up to, which may have several valuable effects on your business.
Role models set the tone for the organization’s overall dynamics. Leading by example means your employees can see the company’s core values and ethics firsthand, which may encourage them to follow in your footsteps. It might also motivate professionals to practice leadership skills themselves, which leads to higher employee engagement.
Taking steps to become a better role model, such as asking for feedback and prioritizing transparency, can also help you maintain loyalty among your employees. Team members who recognize your effort may be more satisfied with the company and less likely to look for employment elsewhere.
Building a culture of role models
Encouraging aspiring leaders to step up as future role models can lead to a more engaged workforce and a stronger team overall. Consider these strategies to create a culture of role model leadership that extends deep into your organization.
Acknowledge your team’s leaders
If you notice a team member strengthening their leadership skills, consider acknowledging it. Celebrating success can be a great way to promote their effort and emphasize its positive impact.
When you recognize employees for their initiative, it shows their achievements and progress have an effect on the company. It can also be a powerful motivator for team members interested in professional development.
Consider acknowledging employees when you notice leadership initiative, or express your gratitude to the whole team by having lunch delivered. Being open with your recognition may even encourage other team members to take steps toward leadership.
Invest in development programs
An employee who’s interested in strengthening their leadership skills might not know where to begin. Investing in development programs can give team members the tools they need to grow into their full potential.
Development programs can also show employees their professional development matters to you, which can improve performance and employee retention. Try hosting a leadership seminar, creating a mentorship program or offering on-the-job training to help team members build key skills.
Create opportunities for growth
Employees may be more inclined to become leadership role models if it aligns with their path toward professional growth. For this reason, creating opportunities for upward mobility can be a great way to encourage your team to demonstrate their leadership abilities. The next time you have a role to fill, consider promoting from within to show existing team members they can grow within your company.
Working with employees individually to create personalized development plans can help them visualize where their careers at your organization might take them. It’s also a great way to demonstrate your interest in their professional success.
