Consistency

     We often hear how critical consistency is in the sports arena. Majority of coaches will choose a player that is consistent versus the player that may have a spike in performance or have the potential to do something good. Why is that? For starters, players who are prone to have a spike of good performance have an equal chance of having a spike of poor performance. So why does this matter in business and more specifically in leadership?
     Employees respect leaders who are fair. This does not mean leaders who always give their employees what they want or always agree with their ideas. But it definitely means that employees want a boss who will administer a decision or a policy the same way with each employee every time. Employees want their leaders to be consistent.
     When a leader asks an employee to do something that may be translated as policy but that employee does not see the policy administered to other employees—flags of inconsistency arise. When certain employees have the opportunity to take a longer lunch, arrive to work later, leave earlier, get exemptions to policies—fairness is questioned. When this begins to happen within a team, animosity begins to form, gossip begins to spread, negative feelings are fed, and ultimately, morale plummets.
     On the other hand, when a leader is consistent across the board—that leader achieves respect from his team. The employees know what to expect and there are never any surprises. This makes it easier for them to adapt to whatever polices may be created. The team understands that new policies and decisions are made with the interest to improve operations and not because of likes and dislikes for certain employees. There may always be disagreements, but there will never be unfairness. And with any team, a fair, consistent leader will always be respected. John Maxwell in his book titled The 5 Levels of Leadership states, “People follow others they respect, people who have credibility.” Unless you are consistent—you will struggle to be credible and you will lack influence, this will result in poor performance of your department, division, or organization.
     So whenever you are faced with administering a decision or a policy, always consider how you communicate the policy to ensure the utmost consistency. It is important to always understand the impact each and every decision will have not only on the employee you may be meeting with, but with all of your employees. Great leaders have the ability to view the big picture and understand potential impacts of every policy and/or decision they make.

Leading Up

     It is common to read about leading down as most articles and educational material focus on leading your team. I thought it may be a good idea to discuss the concept of leading up as this is equally important to the success of a leader.
     So what does leading up mean exactly? I assure you it does not mean tell your boss what to do! That is a fast way of leading yourself out of a job. Leading up means that you have the ability to impact your boss in the same way you impact your team. You can influence your team and their environment in a positive or negative way based on your actions—just like your boss. So in the same way that you focus on being a better leader to those who report to you, you need to commit the same level of energy to being a better leader to those that you report to.
     You can influence your boss in a positive way by making her job easier. Be proactive. Offer solutions to problems. Let your boss know of upcoming obstacles or challenges. Keep your boss informed so she is not caught off guard by her boss regarding a potential issue. Offer to take work off of her plate. Offer yourself as a sounding board and provide honest and candid feedback.
     The examples above are fairly easy to execute if you focus on leading up. However, leading up at times can become difficult. There will be times where you have to commit to helping your boss at the risk of frustrating her. When this risk exists be frank and communicate that you’re aware of how this may make her feel but that you’re doing it in her best interest. You have to have the confidence that your boss has you in the position you are in to help them meet the overall objective of the department, division, or company. In essence, it is your job to help your boss—especially in difficult times.
     This may consist of having strong discussion about the direction of your department, the resources you need, executing or not executing discipline of your team members, just to name a few. These types of conversations are never easy and require you to work with your boss to identify the best option. Your boss may not see what you see as easily as she is more removed from the day to day operations. Practical items to remember when having these types of strategy sessions are:

• Remain calm
• Clearly state your position
• Demonstrate why you have the position you do
• Articulate the impact of your and your boss’ decisions
• Offer different ways of highlighting your position to help facilitate understanding
• Ask questions so you can better understand your boss’ position
• Treat your boss with respect at all times and understand that she is in authority
• Don’t give up; your boss is counting on you to find the best possible solution!

     Pat Williams in his book “The Leadership Wisdom of Solomon” states, “To fulfill your leadership potential, you must demonstrate the qualities that leaders value: sincerity, integrity, a strong work ethic, respect for authority, gratitude, and gracious communication.” If you seek and practice these values, you will be very successful at leading up and ultimately providing value to your organization—and your boss!