The final aspect of practical leadership involves instruction.  Wilfred Peterson says “the leader sees things through the eyes of his followers.  He puts himself in their shoes and helps them make their dreams come true.  The leader does not say, “Get going!” Instead he says, “Let’s go!” and leads the way.  He does not walk behind with a whip;  he is out in front with a banner.”  In other words a leader beckons her followers to “do as I do”, not just “do as I say”.

Some may call this style of leadership coaching, as it is the hands on, in the trenches, instruction of those you are working with.  I equate this with (and often have to remind myself) telling your son to clean his room.  I could simply tell my son to clean his room and walk away leaving him to do it on his own.  Which, to be honest never goes well.  Threats usually ensue – the threat of things being taken away if the room is not cleaned, etc.  In short, the experience is not beneficial for either my son or I.  Instead, the situation is always smoother when I get down on my hands and knees and show him how to clean his room.  In doing so, I provide and example for him, someone to model.  This shows him that cleaning a room is not an act that only children perform and is certainly not “below” that of his parents.

At a higher level – we as managers must take the time to teach those we hire on as a part of our team how to do their job.  Enormous efficiency and gain is made when we invest the extra time into teaching a new team member how to do their job.  When we give them a picture to model, it shows the new team member what “right” looks like.  In doing so, we teach them what we know works, and we show them that our position of leadership is not leadership in name only, but is also leadership in action.  Further, it is imperative that we continuously coach our team.  Instruction does not end with the initial teaching session, it is a continuous process by which we encourage, equip, and reward our team as they progress.

Practical leadership is not easy – it is not simply turning on an engine and letting it idle.  It requires constant initiative, enduring integrity, and passionate instruction.  And while not easy, sound leadership is worth every ounce of effort as we walk toward the completion of a single goal.