It’s been too long (or maybe not long enough for some), but I’m back with some thoughts on leadership: what works, what doesn’t and some simple ways to avoid cratering yourself. Caveat: I don’t really consider myself a leader; I’m just a normal guy who usually shows up to work on time. Which leads me to today’s topic; good leaders are consistent. Standard disclaimer, this is not advice, and I’m not a doctor, lawyer, etc.
Merriam Webster gives us a few definitions of the word “consistent,” but the one that fits our purposes best here is 1C: “showing steady conformity to character, profession, belief, or custom.” In other words, just do the basics well on a regular basis. There are a few basic habits and traits that will build trust with your team and bolster your reputation with other partners. First, and most basic, good leaders show up on time. This applies to internal meetings, as well as engagements with outside stakeholders.
For internal meetings, you’re leading you should be leading by example. If you’re late once, fine, you were late once. If you’re late consistently, you lose credibility and can’t hold others accountable for being on time. It should go without saying that timeliness is equally important with partners or senior leaders. My favorite president (Teddy Roosevelt) once said “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” If you can’t be bothered to show up on time, it sends a very clear message of exactly how much you care – not much. If you don’t value their time, they won’t treat you as a trusted partner, and it doesn’t matter what else you bring to the table. Good luck reversing that.
Timeliness is critical, but not the only factor. You expect your team to be on time and ready to produce, so you should also show up in the right headspace to be effective. Have personal drama? That sucks – leave it at home. Hung over? Too fucking bad; show up and perform. If you want to run with the wolves at night, you’d better be ready to soar with the eagles in the morning.
Emotional maturity is an entirely separate topic, but equally critical here. Remember where I mentioned personal drama? A professional setting is not the proper venue for venting your emotional woes or bragging about your latest…conquest. If you’re not happy with how someone is performing, pull them aside and have a candid conversation – yelling at people in a group setting is never appropriate. “Reward in public, discipline in private” is an oft-cited truism. There’s a reason for that.
Everyone has emotional highs and lows, good days and bad days. That’s okay; it’s normal. It’s not okay to use your colleagues – subordinate or otherwise – as punching bags for those lows. Having a bad day? Step outside and take a deep breath. That’s probably better, for example, than throwing a temper tantrum in a hotel lobby, while wearing attire that clearly identifies your professional affiliation. (I’ve seen it. It was embarrassing. Not a good look for the organization).
Leadership is a messy business, because, spoiler alert, it involves people. Nobody is going to bat a thousand all the time (full disclosure: I don’t understand this sports metaphor, but I hear it a lot). But doing some of the basics will get you a long way as a leader. The building blocks of consistency – timeliness, emotional maturity, and simply treating people with respect – may not always be easy, but they are simple, and well within anyone’s abilities.
Truth! (Except the part where you said you’re not a leader; we talked about this…)