Exemplar vs Example

Legacy Leaders set the example rather than make an example. They are exemplary in their behavior and performance rather than finding faults in others that can be punished in order to “make an example” of those who fall short. Being the EXEMPLAR is inspirational while “making an example” is intimidating. Inspired people do the impossible while intimidated people do whatever it takes to keep from being made an example of. So that there is no confusion, when I use the word EXEMPLAR, I mean a person who serves as the ideal model of the expected behavior and performance of the team. Legacy Leaders do not want their team members to embarrass, ridicule, or berate others. They want them to behave and perform in a way that produces the best possible results for their team. People who “make an example of” others are not leaders, they are bullies and despots.

If I want my team members to be extraordinary performers, I must be the EXEMPLAR. I must behave and perform exactly as I expect each member of the team to behave and perform. My team must see me doing exactly what I expect them to do and in the way I expect them to do it! If my behavior and performance is deviant from what I truly want to see in them, expecting any behavior other than the model I provide is lunacy. If my example is pillage and plunder, that is what I will see in my team. If my example is sarcasm and belittling, that is what I will see in my team. But if my example is caring, concern and attention to best practices, I can and should expect nothing less than caring, concern and best practices from my team.

But Legacy Leaders don’t just hope their teams pick up on what they are doing. They make sure their teams are fully aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it. They make sure their teams understand the relationship between their “behaviors and performance” and “the values and principles” of the organization. Nothing is left to chance. It is all by design. Team members cannot be expected to choose wisely if they are not fully aware of what the best choices are. This is why Legacy Leaders choose to be the EXEMPLAR and not to “make an example of.” It’s the difference between showing others what you want rather than showing others examples of what you don’t want. Gandhi is often quoted as saying “Be the Change you want to see!” Legacy Leadership say “Be the Leader you want to see.”