Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Sanda, for me, one of the most important qualities in a leader is leading by example. I believe in the saying, “Don’t be a boss who says ‘Go’; be a leader who says ‘Let’s go!’”
A great leader doesn’t just give directions or delegate tasks. They stand alongside their team, share the challenges, and lead by doing. That kind of leadership builds trust, motivates people, and makes them genuinely want to give their best.
People are more inspired by what a leader does than by what they say.
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1 reply by Sanda Trofaila
Nov 10, 2026 12:23 PM
Sanda Trofaila
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Thank you for sharing your perspective. I agree that leading by example matters, particularly in how a leader encourages collaboration. In my experience, even highly capable people struggle to deliver collectively when information is withheld or teams work in isolation. Decisions take longer, work is duplicated, and the resulting frustration affects both performance and morale. For me, this is where a leader’s everyday behaviour makes a difference. Sharing context, acknowledging mistakes, and giving credit across team boundaries demonstrate the cooperation they expect from others. It also matters how they respond to bad news: if raising a problem leads to blame, people may stay silent until it becomes much harder to resolve. I am more inclined to follow a leader who makes it easier for people to succeed together and takes responsibility when that cooperation breaks down.
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Sanda TrofailaContract, Project Management & Data Analyst | CERN – European Organization for Nuclear ResearchGeneva, Switzerland
Nov 09, 2026 11:02 AM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
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Sanda, for me, one of the most important qualities in a leader is leading by example. I believe in the saying, “Don’t be a boss who says ‘Go’; be a leader who says ‘Let’s go!’”
A great leader doesn’t just give directions or delegate tasks. They stand alongside their team, share the challenges, and lead by doing. That kind of leadership builds trust, motivates people, and makes them genuinely want to give their best.
People are more inspired by what a leader does than by what they say.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I agree that leading by example matters, particularly in how a leader encourages collaboration. In my experience, even highly capable people struggle to deliver collectively when information is withheld or teams work in isolation. Decisions take longer, work is duplicated, and the resulting frustration affects both performance and morale. For me, this is where a leader’s everyday behaviour makes a difference. Sharing context, acknowledging mistakes, and giving credit across team boundaries demonstrate the cooperation they expect from others. It also matters how they respond to bad news: if raising a problem leads to blame, people may stay silent until it becomes much harder to resolve. I am more inclined to follow a leader who makes it easier for people to succeed together and takes responsibility when that cooperation breaks down. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Thank you, Sanda. This is an important question because there is a meaningful difference between having the authority to lead and earning people's willingness to follow.
I would not single out communication, empathy, competence or leading by example as universally decisive. Each matters, but their value depends on how they translate into decisions and behaviours, particularly when circumstances become difficult.
For me, the central quality is trustworthiness, demonstrated consistently through competence, integrity, fairness and accountability.
A leader may communicate persuasively without being transparent, demonstrate empathy while avoiding difficult decisions, or possess considerable expertise without respecting others' judgement. What matters is how these qualities work together in practice.
One particularly revealing behaviour is how a leader responds when someone raises a legitimate concern, challenges a decision or acknowledges a mistake. Do they listen, examine the evidence and respond fairly, or does their reaction discourage others from speaking up again?
I would also distinguish trusting a leader from agreeing with the direction they propose. We can respect someone's integrity and competence while questioning their decisions or the purpose they are pursuing. Genuine leadership should make room for informed disagreement, not require unquestioning agreement.
There is another dimension I consider particularly important: what happens to people's capabilities while working with that leader?
Leadership should not merely encourage people to follow. It should also create conditions in which they can develop their judgement, exercise meaningful autonomy, collaborate effectively and assume responsibility within their roles. The objective is not to make everyone a leader, but to help people become more capable of acting responsibly without unnecessary dependence on one individual.
Of course, these outcomes also depend on organisational conditions and the contributions of others. We should not attribute every success or failure to the leader alone.
Perhaps the deeper test is not simply whether people want to follow us, but whether we have earned their trust without requiring them to surrender their judgement, whether the direction we propose deserves their commitment, and whether working with us helps them become more capable.
To me, that is a more meaningful measure of leadership than authority, popularity or charisma alone. Saving Changes...
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