Leadership Wisdom of the Week #29

“Do what you say you will do.”

– Kouzes & Posner, Credibility

Have you ever met leaders who are inconsistent in the way they work? Perhaps someone who changes their mind every day? Yesterday, they were excited about something and wanted to go in that direction; today, they have new ideas and the direction has changed. Or perhaps a leader who has the right intentions and says the right things but does not have the courage to translate them into action? They may say that bad behaviour is unacceptable, yet fail to intervene when it happens. Or perhaps a boss whose mood swings are the main topic of discussion at the office every morning, because their mood will set the tone for everyone’s day.

As a leader, your personal credibility is one of the foundations of your authority and your ability to influence others – something to be taken seriously and cherished.

In their book Credibility, Kouzes and Posner remind us that, in order to be consistent in your leadership and thereby gain credibility in the eyes of the people you lead, you need to know what you stand for. You need to know what you are trying to achieve, what your values are and how you want these to be reflected in your everyday behaviour. And then you need the courage, discipline and persistence to act in line with them day after day.

Consistent and credible leaders follow their values even when this requires them to do difficult things. Consistent leaders intervene when there is bad behaviour in the team. Consistent leaders explain their decisions by showing how they relate to the fundamental values and direction of the organisation. Consistent leaders apply the same expectations to themselves as they do to others. Consistent leaders apologise when they cannot keep their promises. Consistent leaders learn to manage their emotions and make conscious decisions about how to express them instead of allowing their frustrations to determine how they treat others.

However, it is important to remember that consistency and credibility in other people’s eyes are not built on your behaviour alone. You cannot assume that everyone knows what your intentions and fundamental values are unless you tell them. Communicating what is important to you, and referring back to these fundamental values when making decisions or tackling challenges, can genuinely help people recognise the consistency in your actions.

Consistency does not mean never changing your mind or choosing a new direction. Circumstances change, new information emerges and sometimes previous decisions need to be reconsidered. What matters is that people can understand the reasons behind the change and see how the new direction relates to your values and goals.

Over time, people will learn to understand and trust the way you behave and react to different situations. They will know what matters to you, what they can expect and how they can prepare. This creates a sense of safety – even when situations are difficult or the decisions you make are not the ones they were hoping for.