CH5.6: Be The Model

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BE THE MODEL
    
# I read a while ago that Gandhi was once approached by a follower who asked the great man the secret to changing those around him. Gandhi thought for a moment and then replied, "you must be the change". And that's really the secret to fostering character and integrity within your teams. You need to be the change you desire.

# Don't expect others to become anything more than you are willing to become yourself.

# You need to be the model your followers will emulate. People do what people see.

# Seneca captured this when he observed, "I will govern my life and thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one and read the other."

# "Visionary leaders become their own best ambassadors. They become shining examples of what they expect their people to be."

# Don't push your people to work harder with fewer resources while you take an extra afternoon off to play golf. Don't cut employee benefits while you, at the same time, refurbish your office. Don't tell your people to buy into your vision of the future while you quietly plan your exit strategy. People are not stupid. They can tell whether you are honorable or not.

# Live your leadership. Become one of those few leaders who has the character to go from knowing what's right to doing what's right to being what's right. Remember what Socrates said, "The first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be".