How to Be the Kind of Leader People Want to Follow

It’s one thing to have a leadership title. It’s another thing to have people truly want to follow you. 

In this Leading People episode of One Simple Thing, Gerry Murray explores the difference and what you can do to close the gap. 

If you’re new to leadership or simply want to reconnect with the fundamentals, this 5-minute listen could be your reset moment.

Check out the Team Leader Essentials and Performance Accelerator programmes here

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Transcript

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Welcome And Premise

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome to Leading People with me, Jerry Murray. This week it's One Simple Thing, where in each episode I share a quick, actionable tip to help you bring out the best in yourself and others. One simple thing is created for young leaders. But hey, us older folks can still learn a thing or two. Ask my dog, he's learned a few new tricks recently.

Why Behaviours Beat Job Titles

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Here's a question for you. Picture this you woke into your first day at a new job and your manager is constantly late, disorganized, and changes their mind every five minutes. How confident would you feel following them? Exactly. People don't just follow job titles, they follow behaviors. And before you can lead others, you must first lead yourself. But what does that actually mean? Leadership isn't just about managing people, it's about modeling the behaviors you want to see in others. Think of the best leaders you've worked with. What made them inspiring?

Defining Your Leadership Brand

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Probably they were clear on their priorities, they followed through on commitments, and they set the tone with their behavior. Now, think of leaders who frustrated you. Probably they were, among other things, scattered, inconsistent, unclear about what they stood for. The message here is that your leadership brand is being created by your presence or lack of presence, whether you consciously shape it or not. And if you don't define and communicate your leadership values, others will define them for you. So, what's one simple thing you can do to lead yourself first so you can model leadership for others? Here are three useful starting points.

Three Steps To Lead Yourself

SPEAKER_00 2:08

First, get clear on your leadership values. What do you stand for as a leader? What do you want to be known for? For example, if reliability is important, but you're constantly late or cancelling meetings with your direct reports, what message does that send? Second, set personal standards and stick to them. Your team watches what you do more than what you say. If you cut corners, they'll cut corners. If you bring energy, they'll bring energy. Third, build a daily leadership reflection habit. At the end of each day, ask yourself Did my actions today match my leadership values? Would I want to work for myself? What could I do differently tomorrow? Some small adjustments can equal a huge impact over time. So your leadership impact starts with you. Test out this one simple thing this week. Get clear on your values and personal standards, and build a daily leadership reflection. Because if you can't lead yourself, why should anyone else follow you?

Programs And Next Steps

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Do you want to take this further? Our team leader essentials and accelerating performance programs are designed to help leaders just like you bring out the best in yourself and others. Check out the links in the show notes. And that's another one simple thing. Thanks for tuning in. Remember, small steps can lead to big changes. Test out this one simple thing and notice how it transforms your day. Let me know how you get on. Reach out on LinkedIn and connect with me. Mention the podcast.

Subscribe And Stay Curious

SPEAKER_00 4:16

And if you'd like to learn more One Simple Things, then subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast channel and follow our LinkedIn Leading People page. In our next episode of One Simple Thing, we'll explore another easy way to be a great leader by bringing out the best in yourself and those around you. And in between, you can check out one of my longer conversations with leading people about, yes, you've guessed it, meaning people. So until then, keep exploring and stay curious.