“The older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.” – Andrew Carnegie
How can you and I possibly use this leadership quote?
You are always under the spotlight as a leader. People will show great interest in you and how you conduct yourself. This was brought home to me in my career many times. People will report back nuances of behavior, ask questions about why you did certain things or how you did another thing. I was walking through the factory one day and a woman asked me how long I’d had my boat.
I never had a boat, but somebody had searched for my name on the Internet and discovered that another individual with my name – not me – owned a boat. There was indeed quite a lot of detail about this individual. So they were showing an interest in me and this really emphasises how you need to manage your online presence as a leader as well.
They will draw conclusions!
Those you lead are interested in your personal life and will draw conclusions from what you do even if those conclusions are way off the mark. They will tell you things about yourself that you didn’t realise or even that you didn’t know.
As Andrew Carnegie said, in one of his more famous quotes about leadership, “What people do is noticed more than what they say.” Over a short period of time, people will listen, interpret and absorb what you say.
Since you are in a position to influence their lives, sometimes in quite a big way, they will also watch to see if what you do matches what you say. Over a longer period of time they will watch closely to see if what you say matches what you do. We are not just talking about body language here, although that is crucial. We are talking about what car you drive, what time you turn up in the morning, your tone of voice when dealing with people. All those small and large things go to make you up.
Quotes about Leadership: Impressions
And always remember, the first impression is usually the last impression.
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Books on leadership for further reading:
The Empire of Business (Paperback)
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First Five Minutes: How to Make a Great First Impression in Any Business Situation (Paperback)
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Lead by Example: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results (Hardcover)
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I agree with this as I get older. I observe actions more than I listen to words.
Words and Actions need to support each other to deliver a coherent statement.