Leadership Practices: Model the Way: Seminar

The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership form the basis of the book “The Leadership Challenge” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. The first practice is the concept “Model the Way” which emphasizes that leaders must model the behaviors they expect of others. The first principle in modeling the way is clarifying values by finding you voice and affirming shared values. The second principle is setting the example by aligning actions with shared values. Collectively these principles are manifested in a leader’s ability to “Do What You Say You Will Do” – a phrase the others simplify with the acronym DWYSYWD.

As expressed by Kouzes and Posner, “to find your voice, you have to discover what you care about, what defines you, and what makes you who you are.” Leaders need to know: 1. What they stand for? 2. What is important to them, and 3. What are their core values. For values to be internalized, they need to be expressed in a leader’s own words. Once articulated, the next challenge for a leader is to model commitment to their voiced values. A leader’s use of time is a clear indicator of their values and commitment for they naturally devote attention to topics they are committed to. Commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational pride are all correlated with clarity of personal values and organizational values. Leaders who have clarity in both areas will have the highest degrees of commitment to their organization and pride in the organization’s work.

Leaders must set an example for others. They need to understand their values and share them with others. Leaders must also search for common ground between their values and those of colleagues within the organization, with these commonalities key to the organization’s success. By doing what you say you will do, leaders develop trust among their team and model the way for others to act. To set an example, leader need to live the shared values and teach others to model their values. Words evoke images of what people hope to create with others and how they expect people to behave. As such, leaders must always watch their language and convey the proper messages to all.