Learn to lead by example

“I serve with honour on and off the battlefield...I lead by example in all situations —Navy SEAL Creed

The Navy Seals unit is a unique special unit of the United States Armed forces. SEALs (Sea, Air, and Land) teams go through what is considered, by military men the world over, to be the toughest combat training that there is.

These teams were developed to conduct unconventional warfare, counter-guerilla and terrorism warfare and clandestine operations in sensitive, high-risk and extreme environments.

Navy SEALs are trained to be leaders, regardless of age or rank. To put it another way, they are trained to earn respect and trust of one another. In any situation, a Navy Seal is a leader and is immediately in a position to take command in any given situation.As I have learnt continually in business, people truly follow only those they trust.

The successful leader encourages followers by being a role model, and motivates them. Transformational leaders are always very visible and will always stand up to be counted rather than hide behind their troops.

They build trust and strengthen relationships. They show by their actions how everyone else should behave.

They deliberately make continued efforts to motivate and rally their followers, constantly doing the rounds to listen, soothe and enthuse.

They are able to stand firm against the winds of resistance and give their followers the courage to continue the quest. A case in point was Alexander the Great who was the King of Macedonia and one of the most outstanding leaders of all time. He became King at the age of 19, when his father, Philip II was assassinated. In the next 11 years, he conquered most of the known world, leading his armies against numerically superior forces.

Yet, even at the height of his power, the ruler of the known world, the greatest sovereign in history to that date, he would still draw his sword at the commencement of a battle and lead his men forward into the fight. He insisted on leading by example.

Alexander felt that he could not ask his men to risk their lives unless he was willing to demonstrate by his actions that he had complete confidence in the outcome.

The sight of Alexander charging forward so excited and motivated his soldiers. One of the surest ways to build trust with the team is to lead by example. Here are several ways to lead by example and inspire your team:

Get into the trenches. Do the work and know your craft. Leaders have many responsibilities, but it is important to work alongside your team.

This is a great way to build trust and continue to develop your own knowledge and skills.

Be cautious of what you say. Actions always speak louder than words. However, words do have a direct impact on morale. Be mindful of what you say and always demonstrate support for all team members. If a limping member needs extra guidance, provide it behind closed doors.

Listen to the team. As leaders, sometimes we are so consumed with achieving our targets that we spend most of the time providing directives, giving orders and we forget to stop and listen.

If the recruitment of the organisation is functioning well, there should be a whole team of experts to consult. One indication of good leadership is being aware that you do not know everything and you should listen and get regularly get feedback from your team.

Take responsibility. It is very lonely at the top and blame roles uphill. Great leaders know when to accept that mistakes have been made and immediately fix them.

It is immaterial if one of your team members messed up or you did. If you are a true leader, you must take responsibility.

Allow the members to do their thing. One factor that allows Navy Seals’ teams to be so effective is that each unit is able to work independently towards a common goal.

To avoid micromanaging, communicate the mission, vision, values, and goals clearly to the team, then step back and let the team innovate.

Take good care of yourself. A leader of a fighting unit needs to be in good shape. The more you take care of yourself, the more energy you will have and the better work you will do. The only way to build a fitness oriented culture, is to lead by example. Get into shape, stay that way and lead from the front.