A Little Known Secret of Leadership Success

The only reason the following is a "secret" of leadership success is because it is hardly ever mentioned as a success factor.   We talk about communication, collaboration, team building, charisma, but we hardly ever talk about. . .

Consistency.

One of the distinctions of a boss I once had was the gentleman's almost ridiculous ability to always be consistent.

There was never an office pool on whether he would do something one way or the other. . .because he always did things the exact same way.   So predictable was he that after working with him a short while. . .I could virtually tell you his response during any given time of the day. 

While this may sound boring, actually working on his team was anything but tedious because we accomplished so much.   Before I go further, I will hasten to add that his consistency was firmly rooted in his values and business philosophy.  In other words, there were reasons that drove his decision making.

So, as a leader, here's what consistency buys you. . .

Your team will love working for you. . .team members like coming to a workplace in which they know what to expect.   There is so much uncertainty in the world that to be able to work in a stable environment is very refreshing indeed.

Certainty breeds strong delegation and authority.    I have seen teams of hundreds stymied by inaction because they don't know what to do. . .because they don't know what their boss wants them to do.   When you work for a boss that is predictable. . .the team knows very well, by practical experience, what the boss wants and they know how to execute to that.

When responding to the uncertainty of the world around us. . .and there will always be emergencies, new competitive circumstances and internal disruptions. . .having the foundation of the predictability of the leader allows the team to move with speed and confidence to address the challenges at hand.

Speaking of the world around us. . .a leader's consistent influence goes beyond the immediate team and communicates itself to the larger organization.   Everyone within our organization was aware of our leader's consistency. . .and much like his immediate team. . .they knew the answer they would be delivered before the question was asked.    This avoided a lot of wasted time and energy.

Yes, on one dimension predictability is not exciting. . .but in another, it is one of the greatest gifts a leader can give a team.

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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, tablets and PCs from Amazon Kindle.