PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!
This past week I have had several interesting conversations with leaders. They have said, “I wish my team would…” or “ I wish (insert name here) would just… “
Often, this comment revolves around simple concepts such as:
· Getting the report done on time.
· Being friendly and pleasant with other co-workers.
· Being more detail-oriented.
From one senior leader I heard, “I wish my leaders would ….”
· Be accountable
· Make the tough call
· Have the tough conversation
In other words, they wish they would simply do the right thing. In fact, this week a group of leaders and I discussed how silly it is that we as leaders need to clearly communicate that coming to work each day with a good attitude is the expectation. It’s frustrating because I believe most of us genuinely feel that having a good attitude is simply the ante required to play this game we call work.
Alas, the Leadership Aha! What if we did what we expect of others?
Not just sometimes , but ALWAYS did what you expect others to do. Think about it. This sounds easy enough but I assure you it isn’t. Try it…
This week think about your actions, your responses, and your choices from the perspective of, “How would I expect others to behave?” or “What would I expect someone else to do in this situation?”
This concept is more complex than just doing the right thing. Why?
Doing the right thing means something different to everyone; therefore leaving gray area and thus allowing us to justify our actions and trivialize what is “right.”
Yet, we always seem to be clear about what is “right” when we are the the customer, or better yet… the leader. If we are truly honest with ourselves we would realize that we expect others to be perfect while we often fall short of our own stringent standards. Doing what you expect others to do is difficult and convicting. For those of you with children, take this one step further and do what you would tell your son or daughter to do.
I challenge you this week to hold yourself to your own standard. Have the tough conversation. Make the tough decision. Apologize. Always have a good attitude. Show up on time. Meet deadlines. Make customers happy. The list goes on and on…
I believe you will learn It isn’t easy being perfect, yet it is certainly worth a try.
Leadership thought for today… Model what you expect!