Leading by example, as a creative/innovative leader

By Ahmed Wahba

November 25, 2022

POV. I’ve come from a world where managers lack emotions, don’t understand anything other than numbers and results. However, this should not be it. They are convinced that this is the only way to success. They live with their traumas but never think about it. It creates an environment of fear, a lack of creativity and innovation.

I’ve led HydraStudioz’ teams and transformed the company to be a powerhouse over the last couple of years, overcoming the traumas my managers left me with, and here is how

LISTEN, LISTEN, SELF REFLECT then ACT

It is always crucial to listen first, then act. I remember all the meetings with shouting, all the calls where I was angry at my team and also all the regrets I had after I thought through the situation and acknowledged that it was not worth it. After all, the emotional part of us as human beings wins and we act as we feel. However, the end result is talents that leave you because nobody wants to be yelled at, your people talk bad about you behind doors, build a work environment that is built on toxicity.

The only reason behind any problem happened to you or the company is YOU It was you who did something terrible in the past and now it is time for the pay back!

Never Override Your Executive Team

You can’t build a company without a structure and you don’t have a structure for the aesthetics of it. If the leader of the company doesn’t respect the structure of the company, why will the employees do? This is the beauty of leading by example, where people follow your behaviours and not your words.

You’re down to earth

As a leader, you should not have your hands on everything all of the time, but you should be well aware of industry trends. For example, if you're a design leader, you should know what the trends in UX are and what the most popular programs are, how to talk to developers, and how to present design ideas like a FU**ING TED TALKER, so you can lead your team to a place where they can innovate, be better, and be up to date, and you'll be able to empathize when a challenge arises.

Why should you follow, Right?

You may be the CEO of a company today, but next year you may not be, and the only thing that remains are the people you met and the friends you made along the way. Being good to yourself and other people is a choice that you can make without compromising on the results.

Are you the leader you wished your leader to look like?

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