What To Expect?
In today’s article, how the action of showing me, not telling me provides effective leadership. I will discuss how effective a leader is if they can show their, team, organisation or child how to do it rather than providing the theory of it. I hope this helps on your leadership journey.
Showing vs Telling
All of our life we are surrounded by people in leadership positions. From our parents, extended family to teachers early on in life. There’s a lot of information that gets thrown at our minds. Some stick and some don’t.
We all have different minds with a different approach to learning that makes us unique in our own way. As different humans are we are also very similar in many ways too.
When it comes to learning I have found that the approach of someone showing me how to do something is completely different to some telling me. When a teacher told me about how I should write in English. The theory was great for understanding what it means. But that did not prepare me to fully comprehend how to put it into action.
Through trial and error, you give it a go. But It takes a lot longer to learn as your just showing yourself what’s right and what’s not. Whereas when a leader shows you. Your mind can decipher the puzzle by seeing everything they do down to the tiniest detail.
What You See Is What You Get
I have many examples in my life where I see something been done that has helped me learn a lot faster than someone just telling me. It has led to quicker productivity.
In a social setting when I’m playing games and I’m stuck on a certain level. I type on google the walkthrough of the game. When I read what to do it takes a lot longer to process. Whereas a Youtube video, I can understand what to do much easier.
I have taught many people in a coaching role with a variety of different skills and when you focus just on the theory the chances of them understanding it and applying the information are slim.
Whereas when I show them how to do it repeatedly until they can do it themselves. The rate increases exponentially.
What The Science Says
There have been many studies that have shown the brain retains more information when it is shown visually.
According to Dr Lynell Burmark, an education consultant who writes and speaks about visual literacy: “…unless our words, concepts, ideas are hooked onto an image, they will go in one ear, sail through the brain, and go out the other ear. Words are processed by our short-term memory where we can only retain about seven bits of information (plus or minus 2). Images, on the other hand, go directly into long-term memory where they are indelibly etched.”
Furthermore, this effect increases over time. One study found that after three days. A user retained only 10-20 per cent of written or spoken information but almost sixty-five per cent of visual information.
Another study showed that an illustrated text was nine per cent more effective than text alone when testing immediate comprehension and 83 per cent more effective when the test was delayed.
These studies show the power of our eyes seeing something get done rather than just hearing how to do it.
How Can You Become An Effective Leader
Being an effective leader requires you to focus on what the people your leading need. They don’t need you to tell them what to do, they need you to show them what to do.
A child will learn from the parents who sit down and show them how to do a maths equation. A university student will graduate with the theory of the subject but will only truly learn how to put that theory into action. When someone shows them how to do it first hand.
Remember people will follow the leaders who provide the example to follow not the instructions of how to do it. Nothing compares to seeing clearly how something is done compared to imaging how we think it should be done.
Over To You
I hope you enjoyed today article, how the action of showing me, not telling me provides effective leadership
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