We’ve all had that feeling: watching a leader speak or act, and swelling up with enthusiasm and pride.
“What a brilliant example,” you might have thought. Or “Why can’t more authority figures be like this?”
Some leaders just have that X factor: they inspire, motivate, and make you want to step up your game.
But what makes them so effective?
It’s not just their title or authority; it’s how they lead by example, walking the talk so that you want to follow. Somehow, they build a thriving team culture and behavior through their actions, communication, and influence–and all with seemingly zero effort!
Leadership is about so much more than telling others what to do; in fact, it’s very much about what YOU do.
Your actions and behaviors set a tone for everyone and play an essential role in determining how seriously people take you. This blog unpacks how great leaders act as role models so that you can become one, too.
How Strong Role Models Communicate
Strong leadership and effective communication are inseparable. You can’t have one without the other…and effective leaders already know that.
Role modeling is essentially a form of communication: as a leader, you are sharing information—through your behaviors and influencing styles—in a way that facilitates trust, collaboration, and committed action.
Let’s explore this link.
Clear and Transparent Communication
We’ve all experienced the frustration of working with a leader whose communication style left us constantly guessing.
Research shows that transparent communication is a key driver of trust and collaboration, which is why influential leaders communicate openly and honestly (Ko et al., 2018).
People notice when you create the clarity they need to succeed, and that’s something they learn to emulate. Three examples of unambiguous communication that leaders can easily demonstrate:
→ Setting clear expectations
→ Proactively sharing updates
→ Owning up to mistakes.
Active Listening
A psychologically safe team culture is one where everyone feels not just heard but understood. Active listening is how leaders help others convey their support and let teammates know their opinions are valued.
Showing that you’re engaged and attentive motivates others to communicate more openly and completely, triggering a self-reinforcing two-way dynamic. Listen actively by:
→ Asking thoughtful questions
→ Summarizing what you’ve heard
→ Giving the other person space to elaborate.
Communicating Vision and Values
What’s the key differentiator between a leader and a manager? One manages tasks; the other inspires their team to own them. Many leaders appreciate the importance of a clearly articulated vision and values, but the ones who stand out are those who live them through their actions.
If you want others to follow you, you have to communicate both your vision and values in these ways:
→ Regularly reinforce the “why” behind your mission and vision
→ Connect daily tasks to these broader goals
→ Walk the talk—set an example by visibly embodying these values in your daily words and actions.
Influence = Actions AND Words
Leaders who practice what they preach create stronger, more committed teams (Wang et al., 2019). Or, as philosopher Albert Schweitzer once said, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.”
So, what exactly should you be role modeling to others?
As Gandhi wisely advised—and as strong leaders demonstrate daily—the key is to “be the change you want to see.”
Role modeling means showing others what it means to embody or practice:
- Corporate values → e.g., If you value transparency, practice clear, open communication and be honest about your mistakes. For this example, learn to master Clarify skills!
- Organizational mission → e.g., Connect personally with the people your non-profit serves, rather than staying behind a desk.
- Shared vision → e.g., If you want “to become the leader in AI-driven healthcare”, learn AI trends, hire the right experts, and integrate AI into everyday conversations. Verbally, Inspire style skills are very useful for communicating vision.
- Team culture → e.g., If you believe in collaboration, share your ideas, encourage everyone to speak up, and reward partnerships and cooperation. Skills include Listen, Empathize, and Connect.
Though organizations may differ in their specific goals and culture, certain fundamental leadership behaviors transcend these differences, bringing life to any organization’s vision, mission, and values.
For example, embodying transparency builds trust, role modeling resilience fosters adaptability, and demonstrating accountability drives team performance. Organizations may express these differently, but their impact is universal.
3 Tips for Being a Strong Role Model
Let’s explore three proven strategies that exemplify some of these universal leadership principles, so you can develop into an influential role model.
1. Show Compassion
This Empathize style skill is all about actions that show how much you genuinely care about your teammates. Apart from positively impacting their wellbeing, it facilitates a safe, supportive culture that encourages ideas-sharing, openness, and collaboration.
Pick one of the following small gestures to do each day, and you’ll quickly notice others start to do the same, for a more empathetic team culture:
- Ask people how they’re doing
- Wish them luck with a task or event
- Smile when they pass
- Write a kind note
- Get a coffee for a teammate!
2. Offer Support
Research by Kock et al. (2019) confirms what many people instinctively know: supportive leadership directly correlates with both enhanced team performance and increased job satisfaction.
Role model this behavior, and you’ll notice teammates start to do the same for one another. To show others you are there for them and position yourself as a coach, try any or all of the following:
- Keep your door open
- Look up from your desk or computer when people walk in
- Look around when you walk through the office, making eye contact with everybody as you pass
- Create clear times for people to walk in and ask for support, then put your work aside and be present when they do.
3. Involve People in Conversations
True role models understand that leadership isn’t about monopolizing the conversation—it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute. Encouraging participation fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and shared ownership while boosting your collective intelligence.
Some people hesitate to speak up, especially in larger discussions. By actively involving them, you signal that their input matters, making team meetings more inclusive and productive.
Try these simple actions to encourage participation:
- Ask open-ended questions like “What do you think?” of “Does anyone have another perspective?”
- Notice who hasn’t spoken and invite them in—without putting them on the spot
- Acknowledge all contributions so people feel valued, even if their ideas aren’t used
- Model active listening by nodding, making eye contact, and responding thoughtfully.
References
- Ko, C., Ma, J., Bartnik, R., Haney, M. H., & Kang, M. (2018). The Role of Ethical Leadership in Employee Well-Being and Organizational Commitment. Journal of Business Ethics, 153(3), 793–806.
- Wang, H., Sui, Y., Luthans, F., Wang, D., & Wu, Y. (2019). Authentic Leadership and Employee Job Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Relational and Psychological Identification. Journal of Business Research, 96, 1–10.
- Ned Kock, N., Mayfield, M., Mayfield, J., Sexton, S., & De La Garza, L. (2019). Empathetic Leadership: How Leader Emotional Support and Understanding Influences Follower Performance. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 26(2), 217–236.
