Leaders must always focus on their actions before anything else to inspire.

In a recent set of factory briefings my team put a big emphasis on increasing our awareness of day to day hazards in the workplace. The message was really well put together and I was really pleased with the way it was conveyed. The passion and commitment was outstanding. The team did a great job of increasing the profile of minor hazards and not letting them become major issues in our business. I was really proud of their efforts.

The next day on my factory walkabout one of our Fork lift truck drivers stopped me in the warehouse...... “Morning Steve, do you mind if I give you some feedback on yesterday’s briefings.” 

“Of course - how did you find it?”

“Great to see Steve and the H&S bit was spot on.” He said.

I was really pleased the message got through to him. The presentation had really worked and hit the spot I concluded.

“Can I ask how committed are you to the message?” He asked.

“Very,” I said. “That’s why we led with that section. The safety of us all is my top priority. I asked the team to talk about that first before anything else, that shows you my commitment.”

“So can I ask you to stop walking around my warehouse with your mobile phone in your hand please... right now you are my biggest hazard as I go about my daily jobs!”

My phone is now left very firmly attached to my desk whenever I go on walkabout in our factory.

In leadership it’s not what we say that matters........ It’s what we do and how we behave that makes all the difference on a day to day basis. What follows can only ever be built on that, if we cannot get our actions right than we may as well forget the rest.

The simple little things we do demonstrate our real commitment, not the oratory that comes out of our mouth or the attractive presentations that we make spend large amounts of time constructing.

So.... If we truly want to win someone's heart and inspire those around us to achieve then -

• Don’t just talk about people engagement, say “good morning” and ask how they are getting on in their world every day. It makes a huge amount of difference to people if we show we are actually interested in their well being not just their productivity.
• Don’t just talk about capability building but ask where they need help and how they would like to improve and how you can help. Then follow up. Do simple things to make people's daily life simpler, not more complicated.
• Don’t talk about being “in tune,” get out and spend time in others work space understand their reality. Spend time in the environment of those that you lead. Napoleon ate with his troops not because he liked the food, but he wanted to understand their reality before his own.
• Don’t talk about recognition, just go and pat somebody on the back and say “well done.” for a job well done. Quietly without any great fuss or theatricals.
• Don’t talk about treating people as Individuals actually let them come in 10 minutes later and work a bit later on the occasions they need to.
• Don’t talk about accepting responsibility actually put your hand up and take on activities first before others can occasionally.
• Don’t talk about listening well, and then have your face in a mobile phone or tablet, actually write things down and act on things people ask you to do - no matter how trivial.
• Don't talk about offering support, aim to give people the resources they need to deliver on a task at hand.

And in my case don’t talk about priorities and then walk around in such way that means you actually make it clear I am not thinking about it as a priority.

Very often these actions are the smallest things. But they make a world of difference to somebody else. And if they make a world of difference to somebody else then to make them feel like a real person who can make a real contribution they must make a world of difference to you as a leader also.

As AA Milne beautifully taught us, “Sometimes the smallest things take up the biggest room in your heart.” All leaders would do themselves a great service to remember this in any interaction they have with people. For the secret to the effectiveness of leadership on a day to day basis lies in these wonderful words.

Never be arrogant enough to believe that your actions will not have an affect on somebody or that they won't be noticed, because they do and they are. The resultant impact on performance is invariably of far more significance than you can comprehend or quantify. It may be an inconvenient truth but your day to day actions as a leader are of far greater importance than any other facet of leadership. There is no escaping that reality.

Like, Comments and Shares are always appreciated.