Your Actions Matter More Than Your Words

Your actions speak more than your words. Particularly if you’re a leader, and especially if you’re in a position of power.

You might say that you expect one behavior, but if you exhibit the opposite yourself, don’t be surprised when others in your team or community adopt it as well.

If you don’t expect your team to reply to emails at midnight, don’t send emails at midnight. (You can schedule the emails for the following morning, even if you must or want to work evenings.)

If you don’t expect your team to cut corners, don’t cut corners yourself. Don’t look for cheap ways to gain hundreds of (fake) social media followers, and don’t look for ways to increase sales numbers without improving the quality and usefulness of your product.

If you expect your team to take more responsibility, don’t avoid your own responsibilities. Be the first on the line when a pay cut needs to happen, and communicate difficult and unwanted decisions yourself, openly and clearly.

Your environment depends on you and your actions. And even if you’re not in a position of power, you can still be a leader, and you can still demonstrate positive behavior that will benefit you and everyone around you.