“I think even if he never said a word he’d be a leader just ’cause of the way he plays. It’s rare you get receivers that are that physical, that block that way and that play as hard as he does.”
The words above were spoken by San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey in this article from The Athletic. The player he was referring to is new team captain Debo Samuel.
The One Thing Every Leader Must Do To Have Influence With Others
The most fundamental leadership lesson I know is that people do what people see. As a result, the greatest leaders do not lead by their words. They lead by example through their actions.
Caffrey continued, “I think you just turn on the silent tape and you can feel Deebo in the way he plays. But then you get to meet him and see the kind of intent he brings to this team, it’s special.”
49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams noted, “You can see that he (Samuel) worked his tail off to change his body during the offseason. And I think that in itself garnishes a lot of respect.”
49ers tight end George Kittle added, “Being named team captain’s a huge deal. It’s the respect you have in the locker room and the organization. And I’m really happy for Deebo. … It’s cool, too, because I don’t want to say it adds pressure to you, but it definitely, ‘Hey, you’re a captain for multiple reasons.’ You need to show up every single day and you need to be able to help guys, guide guys, give guys advice. Or if you’re not much of a talker, just show ’em how to do it every single day. He does that, and he’s been great at that this whole season.”
Samuel concluded, “It (the captaincy) was something that needed to be earned for sure.”
9 Things Leaders Must Do To Effectively Lead By Example
From the comments above, we learn 9 things leaders must do to effectively lead by example. First is the principle followed by the supporting quote.
- Leading by example must be intentional. It does not happen by default, but by design. “You get to meet him and see the kind of intent he brings to this team, it’s special.”
- Leading by example requires paying the price of hard work. “You can see that he worked his tail off to change his body during the offseason. And I think that in itself garnishes a lot of respect.”
- Leading by example garners respect. “It’s the respect you have in the locker room and the organization.”
- Leading by example brings added pressure. This is because you are being watched every single day by those in your organization. “I don’t want to say it adds pressure to you, but it definitely, ‘Hey, you’re a captain for multiple reasons.’ “
- To lead by example you must show up every single day. The speed of the leader determines the speed of the team. “You need to show up every single day.”
- To lead by example you must provide solutions. “You need to be able to help guys.”
- To lead by example you must be a model. “Guide guys.”
- To lead by example you must provide sound counsel. “Give guys advice.”
- Leading by example must be earned. “It was something that needed to be earned for sure.”
What is one thing you learned from the list above to better leader by example?
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