The most effective way to teach others—our employees, clients, even family members—is to exemplify that which we want to teach. Here’s how to efficiently coach others to become great business leaders.

From the time you walk into the office, your appearance and disposition, as well as how you handle problems, talk to clients, complete tasks and projects, your work ethic, and how you demonstrate your commitment to your people as their manager, sends a message to your staff that says, “This is how it is done.” The “Do as I say not as I do” approach to managing is no longer effective. Managers need to think beyond their spoken word and evaluate their behavior to fully identify the overall message they are really sending to their staff.

A hard truth to embrace but one that rewards every manager who does is this: Businesses take on the complexion of their owners and management, both their strengths and weaknesses. You can’t expect your team to go the extra mile, feel great about their work, be highly organized, and be fully accountable for their performance if their leader is not.

The greatest leaders know that in order to have an impact on others, they need to change themselves first. If you want to accelerate team performance in ways other than through training and coaching, upgrade the message you send in your communication, which also encompasses your actions as well as your behavior. You owe it to yourself as well as to your team.

You are their manager and have a responsibility that transcends monthly numbers or year-end sales targets. You create the atmosphere and culture among your team. You develop the parameters that determine exactly how effective your sales team can be each day. Are you setting them up to thrive or simply survive? When you have the power to make a difference in just one person’s life, you are a leader.

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