A few more things on consistency following up on last week…
• Great outcomes aren’t built on great days, but on consistent ones.
• Consistency compounds. Occasional brilliance fades.
• Throw a whole bucket of water on a rock and nothing happens. Let water drip consistently onto a rock and it creates a hole. Consistency beats intensity!
Once again, Strive to be consistent…
We are all leaders. Some
are formal leaders with titles, others are informal leaders with influence. We
lead at home, church, in our community and at work. We lead our children, our peers, and our
employees. If you do not consider
yourself a leader, you are ignoring an opportunity to influence those around
you. Embrace these leadership points and
do your absolute best to be a great leader!
·
Hope - Great leaders give people hope for a better tomorrow.
·
Consistency - When followers never know what to expect from a leader,
they will stop expecting anything.
·
Influence - People do not respond well when pushed, forced or
directed. They respond best when
influenced by leaders they respect.
·
Honesty & Trust - Trust and honesty are established when words
and actions match up.
·
Accountability - Leaders understand that followers need to see
leaders who are willing to be accountable.
·
Humility - As leaders we should be concerned with what is right,
not if we are right.
·
Respect & Caring - People do not care what you know until they
know that you care.
One of the most critical
attributes of a great leader is consistency.
If you know me well, you know how I feel about consistency. This is not
the first MMM devoted to the topic. Steady
and consistent leadership develops loyal followers. It maintains calm and
stabilizes expectations. Consistency means that when the question is the same,
the answer is the same, no matter if the names and places change. The answer is
the same no matter the emotional, financial, or legal implications. Dependable
answers and consistent responses create a stable environment where expectations
are clear. This does not mean that different times may not require different
responses. It does not mean that business circumstances can’t dictate changes
in policy. However, it does mean that
people know what to expect from their leader.
John Maxwell says, “If
people do not know what to expect from a leader, they will come to expect
nothing.” As leaders, we should want
people to know what to expect from us.
Great leaders have sound
values and convictions. Those things do not change and therefore they are
consistent in their leadership. A great leader is the rock of consistency for
their team, followers, business or family.
I lost my dad way too early,
Who am I to doubt it was part of God’s plan?
His mother lived to age 98, why couldn’t he?
Who am I to question God’s timing?
He loved my mom and all of us so dearly,
Who am I to ask God why we don’t have him
anymore?
He was married for 50 years, had nine
grandchildren and a great grandchild,
Who am I to not thank God for the time we did
have?
He had wood to carve, golf to play and trips to
take,
Who am I to ask God why not?
He was kind, loved and respected,
Who am I to ask God why him?
For his disease there were no more options,
Who am I to ask God why no cure?
There were things I had not done or said,
Who am I to ask God for more time with him?
I never heard a bad word spoken towards him,
Who am I to ask God why not someone else?
He deserved so much more,
Who am I to question that God knows what he
truly deserved?
I lost my dad far too soon,
Who am I to question God’s plan?
Barry
D. Blanton
In
loving memory of Don Blanton
January
6, 1935 – June 23, 2007
This MMM was originally
issued fifteen years ago. I will repeat it as long as I write MMM’s on a
Monday near the anniversary of the passing of my father.
When asked what I consider to be key characteristics of great
leadership I always include consistency. It is essential that followers
perceive their leaders to be consistent, stable, and dependable. Inconsistency
breeds confusion and can distort the direction of teams. Consistency is a great
attribute. It is a trait of great leaders, a characteristic of good parents and
a virtue of loyal friends. Being consistent means, you can be depended upon. It
means you have a foundation of unchanging beliefs. Consistency implies stability. It does not
have to mean that you are boring or lack spontaneity. It means that when facing
a common set of circumstances, you generally respond the same way every
time. It is especially important as a
leader. If people never know what to
expect from you, they stop expecting anything. You don’t want your followers to
stop expecting anything.
Be consistent. Consistency builds loyal followers, strong
companies, and stable families.
The great guitarist Bo Diddley once said, “Don’t let your mouth write a check that your butt can’t cash.” Others must believe in you before they are going to follow you. They need to know that you are going to do what you say you are going to do. They need to believe that you are honest and can be trusted. They need to know that your check is not going to bounce! Honesty and trust go hand in hand with great leadership. People must experience the leader as believable, credible and most of all, trustworthy. Trust and honesty are established when words and actions match up. You don’t build trust by talking about it. You build it by achieving results, always with integrity and in a manner that shows real personal regard for the people with whom you work. Honesty is a key to integrity and the trust building process. Trust is what other people invest in you, based on your integrity and honesty. Trust is their absolute confidence that you are truthful and reliable. Great leaders are honest and trustworthy!
“Vision
without execution is a hallucination.” - Joe Calloway, Author and
Performance Consultant.
This quote comes from something Calloway wrote entitled,
"Work like you're showing off!" What a simple but profound
statement about execution. He goes on to say that an employer will trade
ten "idea guys" for one person who can get things done. You
have all heard the statement, "Ideas are a dime a dozen."
Generally, leaders do not want to hear what you are going to do, plan to do, or
think you will do. They want to know what you have done, have completed,
and implemented. As leaders, the challenge is to channel ideas into
action. Encourage and direct people to implement ideas and reach
completion. There is nothing wrong with great ideas. The world is
full of them, and we need the people who come up with them. The real test
of any good idea can only come once it is executed.
We are all leaders. Some are formal leaders with titles, others are informal leaders with influence. We lead at home, church, in our community and at work. We lead our children, our peers, and our employees. If you do not consider yourself a leader you are ignoring an opportunity, even a responsibility, to positively influence those around you. Below are characteristics that are keys to great leadership. Embrace these and be a great leader!
Great leaders recognize the efforts and successes of those that work with them. Sincere recognition and appreciation develops deep loyalty and spurs motivation. But, when it comes to our own motives, we need not be concerned about recognition. Great leaders do not worry about accolades coming their way. They are focused on the direction, goals, and accomplishments of their team. Recognition comes naturally to quality leaders; they need not worry. The satisfaction of leadership comes in recognizing others and developing them as people and as leaders. Consider this quote from a somewhat well know President. Happy Presidents’ Day!
“Don't worry when you are not recognized,
but strive to be worthy of recognition.”
--Abraham Lincoln
I know things are different this year, but it is still the Christmas holiday season. May you and your family have a truly blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
The MMM will take off next week for the holidays and return on Monday, January 4th of 2021. What are your plans to make 2021 great?
Last week we talked about the importance of friends. We need support and advice from friends. The best of friends also challenge us. Truly great friends will encourage us to change course. They point out our poor decisions. They care about us becoming better versions of ourselves. Do you have friends who will be honest with you? When you veer off course will they tell you? We want and need friendships like this.
Are you
this type of a friend? Like we said last
week, friendship is a two-way street.
That means we have a responsibility to be honest with friends. We owe it to them to openly communicate and
encourage them to grow. Certainly, they
need our support. Sometimes that support
needs to take the form of a challenging conversation.
Have
great friends and a be a great friend…
Today’s MMM is brought to you by Thomas Rhett. He has released a great new song with some very timely lyrics. The one line that is the heart of the song is “In a world full of hate, be a light”. Our world needs light. We need peace and we need to step back and look at the big picture. Hate and anger are powerful, and they can snowball out of control. Now is a great time to be a light! Consider the meaning of these lyrics. Better yet, consider acting out these lyrics.
In a time full of war,
be peace
In a time full of doubt, just believe
Yeah, there ain't that much difference between you and me
In a time full of war, be peace
In a world full of
hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light
In a place that needs
change, make a difference
In a time full of noise, just listen
'Cause life is but a breeze, better live it
In a place that needs a change, make a difference
In a world full of
hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Oh, don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light
In a race that you
can't win, slow it down
Yeah, you only get one go around
'Cause the finish line is six feet in the ground
In a race you can't win, just slow it down
In a world full of
hate, be a light (oh)
When you do somebody wrong, make it right (make it right)
Don't hide in the dark (don't hide in the dark), you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light
Yeah, it's hard to live in color, when you
just see black and white
In a world full of hate, be a light
What a great world it would be if we were all more concerned with what is right than who is right. We spend a lot of time defending our position, arguing our viewpoint, and building our own individual case. Is our position always what is right? That seems doubtful. There are times we may be arguing for what is right, but often we are just concerned with being right. Sometimes we even know that we are not right, but we just cannot bring ourselves to admit that we are wrong. It should not be about being wrong. It should be about what is right. Try and think more about what is right, for your company, for your family, for society; not who is right. Be humble…
“Pride
is concerned with who is right.
Humility
is concerned with what is right.”
-Ezra Taft Benson
