As the world, our economy and our industry begin to bounce back, managers who lead by example will have an edge. With recent cutbacks on stations that were already running pretty lean, groups will be asking more from every employee in the building. So, if managers don’t step up to help pick up some of the slack, important things will begin to fall through the cracks. 

I’m not suggesting that managers shouldn’t still delegate certain tasks, especially time consuming ones that anyone can do. But, now would be a great time for managers to ask themselves what skills they could personally improve on, or new skill they could acquire, that would help to take some of the load off of their staff. 

Here are five advantages of being a lead by example manager. 

Motivation: Nothing motivates a staff faster than a boss that jumps down into the trenches and helps them execute tasks. Plus, when the boss who has a ton on their own plate is getting something done, it’s hard for the employees to say that they don’t have the time to do it. 

Innovation: Working hand and hand with their staff on a project, and possibly working on something they haven’t for years, will get most managers wheels turning on ways to do it better or more efficiently. Then, those suggested innovations will work as idea starters to get all of the staff to start thinking of their own. 

Encourages self-starters: Employees that happily accept any task that’s delegated to them are great. But, employees who take the initiative to complete tasks that they know need to get down, without being asked, are even better. Working under a lead by example manager leaves more room for those kind of employees to step up, because they aren’t being delegated one hundred percent of their tasks. 

Lights that competitive fire: The smaller a staff the less likely there will be multiple high achievers that naturally encourage each other’s competitive spirit. In that circumstance a lead by example manager can often act as a substitute challenger to light that competitive fire. 

Teams win: If the Last Dance documentary about Michael Jordan and the Bulls reminded us of anything, other than the fact that Jordan was incredibly hard to play with, it’s that teams win. Before Phil Jackson taught Michael how to play team basketball, they never won a championship. When employees see that a manager won’t ask them to do anything that they aren’t willing to do themselves, it creates a ‘We’re in this together” team atmosphere that will lead to a lot of wins. 

Leading by example is a great way to manage and motivate any staff, but it’s especially helpful now that we’re asking most employees to handle multiple roles. However, it’s important for managers to pick their spots and only lead by example on projects and tasks that play to their individual strengths. 

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