In life you get natural leaders that can motivate people by the shear brilliance in public speaking. Martin Luther King Jnr, Abraham Lincoln, Margaret Thatcher, Adolf Hitler and one hundred more. They had the ability to get up on a stage and make people believe in what they said, even if it wasn’t true. I certainly wasn’t one of those, even though I do a lot of public speaking now. I still live by the example of leading by example.
In all the successful teams I played there were lots of very good leaders around me and the team didn’t only hear my voice during a game. The other leaders always had the freedom and the ability to speak when the opportunity was there. A very good example of this is when you lead your kids as a father and a mother. Your kids will do what you do and not what you say! A very scary thought but very true and practical. Our ability to lead by example is crucial in the success of our leadership and here’s why.
- Leaders who speak from the “treetops” often don’t know what is going on at the ground level. It is important to get out of the tree and walk in the frontline.
- Servant leadership is not only biblical but practical so don’t be scared to get your hands dirty when the going gets tough.
- Many people need an encouraging word, but most people need a hand up or at least an example to follow. Be the example.
- People will follow words and speeches for a while, but a great example will always have a longer-term result.
- No battle has ever been won by a great speech or wise words. It is won on the battle ground with motivated soldiers following a brave leader.In the famous words of William Wallace in Braveheart.
“You can run, and you’ll live – at least for a while. And dying in your bed many years from now would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just once chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom.”
What battle/decision are you currently in and what could the result do to your ability to lead by example? Be decisive and act immediately rather than procrastinate and be sorry that you never took the opportunity when it was available. Times are tough and they are probably bound to get even worse but as leaders we need to stand strong and be the example by being a positive voice in a negative world.
If you would like to get in touch about Debunking Motivation, send an email to corne@cornekrige.com. Visit my website to review my speaker sheet for more info. I also share my story on my social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.