To be an exemplary leader one must have the ability to align their actions and behaviors with the organizational business objectives. Top leaders must realize that their teams are always watching them and whether they want to be or think they are or not, they are definitely role models. Having said that, successful leaders must walk their talk otherwise inconsistencies occur and a muddled corporate culture with mixed corporate objectives ends up being the result.

Here are a few of the dozen or so questions to ask yourself or your managers to check to see if you and your managers are in alignment with your organizational culture and or organizational objectives:

Has anyone in your organization upline or down told you or described you to others as a good corporate role model?
Has anyone pointed out consistencies or inconsistencies in your executive or management behaviors and ANY corporate business objectives?
Has anyone ever told you that you are not doing what you tell others to do?
Does your HR department assume any role or responsibility in recognizing the need for and making recommendations that would help managers and senior leaders to better align employee strengths and skills with corporate business objectives?

Once an assessment is complete the key question is what are you willing to do to make improvements in corporate alignment and how will you know if you have been successful?

What is praise?
Praise is positive feedback, a genuine positive statement that is given sincerely and is a true statement. Successful leaders celebrate the simple and small things and from that their team follows through on big accomplishments. Unfortunately, it is not done enough in most cases. Have you ever come home and said, man! they just give me too much praise at work! Or have you ever heard someone over lunch or out with friends and hear those words? No, I didn’t think so.

We are usually conditioned to look for the problem and issues and yes we have to do that as part of process control and so forth. However, those are management issues and giving praise is a leadership behavior and action.

Ask yourself how many times this week did you catch someone doing something right…and let them know you noticed. Also, how can you and your team become even better at giving praise and spreading that habit of giving well-deserved praise throughout the organization? Imagine the implications this can make on your team and your workplace for that matter.