Lead By Example

“Do we lead from the front — or alongside?”

In businesses like ours — values-led, high-trust, hands-on — leadership doesn’t mean doing less.
It means showing up fully.
It means going the extra mile, literally and figuratively.

But here’s the challenge:

When you give your all, how do you make sure you’re still bringing your best?

We had a week recently where two flights were cancelled, road routes were uncertain, and rental cars were nearly impossible to find.
With my team, we rerouted the entire trip — rebooked flights, tracked down a car in Nelson, and coordinated changes on the fly.
I flew in, drove 4.5 hours across the island, delivered the training in Greymouth, then did the return trip - another long drive, a small-plane flight, and two more hours behind the wheel to get home.

At no point did we consider cancelling.
We deliver. It’s what we do.

That’s what leadership looks like.
Not delegating when it gets hard. Not stepping back for comfort. But leading in a way that shows others what commitment looks like — and doing it with clarity, not chaos.

So how do I make sure I’m still bringing my best?
For me, it comes down to rhythm and reflection.

• Making time to debrief after delivery, not just jump to the next job

• Listening to feedback — from clients and from the team

• Checking in with my energy, not just the outcomes

• And asking, “Would I be proud to repeat that day, that week?”

It’s not about balance. It’s about being deliberate.

So here’s the reflection:

Are you leading in a way others can follow — or in a way only you can survive?