Pacesetter Leadership — Just Don’t Get Too Far Ahead of Them!
By: Shaan Rais
Tags: Leadership Styles, Leader, Organization, Leadership, Pacesetter Leadership

The leadership style of pacesetting is a style that sets the pace for the organization and the team through example. This is the leadership style that asks the leader to get down on the front line with the individual and team members and shows them how to do a task by exemplifying it through to completion.

It is a great style to exhibit the expectations, let the team members know that it is definitely possible, and shows them particulars as well as short cuts. It shortens the learning curve for people, and it also makes them feel good because they know; #1 they are not alone, #2 it can be done, and #3 they have an authentic leader who does not feel that he/she is above the people.

This is a leadership style that removes the invisible wall between the leader and their people. It makes the leader more human and approachable. Everyone wants to be close to the leader, to know they are human, and the closer they can relate to the leader as ‘one of them,’ the easier it is to see themselves as a leader. It also makes the organization seem more touch-oriented when the leader is accessible and not so far removed from the action.

People are more galvanized to right action and morale is boosted when they see their leader on the front lines with them. It empowers them and shows them that they can do it too. It is energizing and encouraging. High standards are set for performance in this style of leadership. The leader is someone who has risen through the ranks and reached high levels of expertise and execution ability within the given task, and their action and ease of efficiency are demonstrative of this mastery.

These leaders are often obsessive and high performing, sometimes swallowing people up in their backdraft. They expect others to carry the same load, be able to carry it and to be as excited about it as they are. This is where it can become toxic.

The leader sometimes doesn’t take into account the weakness or shortcomings of others, and they get so far ahead of them that they can no longer see or relate. Followers can become bewildered by the example set, or the pace set, get depressed and feel they can never measure up.

This leader has to be careful not to dwarf their followers through their example, excitement, and mastery.

I am drawn to think of something that John C. Maxwell says in his new book, LeaderShift. On page 23 he talks about the leadership dance, to which he says you must, “Step ahead of people, staying close enough for them to see you, Step beside people, listening to them and talking about the journey, and step behind people, sharing words of encouragement to keep them going.” He further states that, “doing this dance keeps you connected to your people and energizes everyone.”

I think this is a great thing for the leader of the pacesetting style to remember. You do not want to intimidate your people. I can remember entering statistics and retrogression analytics in my undergrad, and I can remember the professor working on an equation. He did it so fast, and so masterfully. It seemed so complicated (like another language, which it was) that I was dizzy. He did not slow down, nor explain, and it felt like something I would never get.

Luckily, he was not the only authority on the subject, and this is what I want you to take away from this day of Leadership Development. As you are setting the pace, as you are showing the example, and as you are getting down on the front line with your people, remember who it is for. It is not for them to say, “Wow, look at Mr./Mrs. So & So, they sure know what they are doing!”

No, it is for your people to show them that you (A) are human, (B) you are like them, and (most importantly) © that you like them, and (D) are willing to show them that it can be done, and how, because you want to empower them, and save them time, by shaving hours, and maybe weeks and months off of their learning curve.

If you are able to lead this way, you will be setting the pace for organizational resiliency, victory, and harmony, and this is what effective leadership is all about.

Now go out there and set the Pace!