In a Harvard Business Review article entitled "Rebuilding Trust: Why Capping Salaries Isn't Enough", author Diane Coutu talks about how a leader goes about rebuilding trust. Among the four values she lays out, I thought I would pass along this one: Consistency is the real engine of trust. Even if a leader shows competence, integrity, and respect, but fails to behave consistently, she won't capture people's hearts and minds. No one wants to follow a leader who is trustworthy one moment and unpredictable the next. Without reliability, there can only be pseudo trust between people - especially in relations where the power is asymmetrical.
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Have you ever noticed ... we tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and judge others by their behavior. In other words, we're quick to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, even when our actions don't match what we set out to do. But we're slow to grant that same favor to others.
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One of the things I love about the web is how one thing leads to another -- unintended consequences. While reading a blog on leadership, I came across a link to something called "The Cult of the Done Manifesto." It reminds us to stay focused on the "doing." In business or at church, we can easily get caught up in talking and never take action. This post reminds us to get things done! The Cult of Done Manifesto There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done. There is no editing stage. Pretending you know what you're doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you're doing even if you don't and do it. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an…
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“Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. In other words, you must win through superior logistics …” (Tom Peters).
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The Harvard Business Review published a list of traits that will derail a leader. Here they are: Lack energy and enthusiasm. They see new initiatives as a burden, rarely volunteer, and fear being overwhelmed. One such leader was described as having the ability to “suck all the energy out of any room.” Accept their own mediocre performance. They overstate the difficulty of reaching targets so that they look good when they achieve them. They live by the mantra “Underpromise and overdeliver.” Lack clear vision and direction. They believe their only job is to execute. Like a hiker who sticks close to the trail, they’re fine until they come to a fork. Have poor judgment. They make decisions that colleagues and subordinates consider to be not in the organization’s best interests. Don’t collaborate. They avoid peers, act independently, and view other leaders as competitors. As a result, they are set adrift…
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