EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS...
Walk Their Talk

Values Beliefs Traits Emotions Credibility is essential for trust. Trust is essential for Exceptional Leadership. It is critically important that when a leader says they are going to do something, they do it, and when they say they are not going to do something, they don’t do it.

How many of us have heard stories of leaders communicating during a merger that nothing will change, that it is only an investment relationship, that jobs will not be impacted? And then, there are massive changes, including layoffs. Credibility is blown from the get-go.

Another example of leaders not walking their talk is the conduct of the employee survey. Employees are solicited for their opinions with an expectation that results will be made public and action taken on justifiable criticism. The survey is taken with no follow-up reporting or visible action. It is better not to do a survey at all than to undermine leadership credibility.

 

? Thought Provoker

  • Do you say things to others, trying to be nice, while unintentionally creating positive expectations that certain things will happen—and then they don't?
  • Do you follow through with promises?
  • Do you communicate slippery promises? For example, do you say, “I will ‘try’ to do such and such”? Do others perceive it as a commitment when you don’t?
  • Do you hold yourself and others accountable for adhering to the published and informal values of your organization?
  • Managing by commitment requires that you model, by your communications and actions, making and meeting commitments. Do you?

As my daddy used to say, “We judge ourselves by our intentions; others judge us by our actions.”

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