Do What You Say You Will.
Do what you say you will.
It’s a simple concept, but it’s often overlooked in day-to-day leadership.
Failing to meet commitments or follow-through is a very quick way to erode the trust of your employees.
Too often, I encounter clients whose staff complain of a glaring lack of follow-through from leadership. The result is resentment and a lack of trust in those leaders.
If, as a leader, employees don’t trust you, your ability to grow alongside and collaborate with them is significantly hindered.
These are the common mistakes that I see leaders making:
Agreeing to do things that they simply can’t do. Why? They don’t have the authority, time, or other resources.
Not setting reasonable timelines and expectations. Why? They are overly enthusiastic and unrealistic.
Saying “yes” to everything. Why? They are afraid of what will happen when they say “no.”
Most often their INTENT is good. It’s the SYSTEMS that are bad.
So, here are some steps leaders like you can take to have systems that make it easier to do what you say you will:
Prioritize Communication - Transparent communication builds trust and helps manage expectations.
Learn to Say "No" Strategically - Instead of saying "yes" to every request, evaluate each one carefully and determine if it aligns with your team's priorities and capacity. When declining a request, provide a clear and reasonable explanation to avoid misunderstanding.
Empower Your Team - Delegate tasks and authority to the appropriate team members. Empowering your employees not only lightens your workload but also shows that you trust them to handle responsibilities effectively.
Set Realistic Goals - Work collaboratively with your team to set achievable and reasonable timelines for projects. Avoid overcommitting or underestimating the time required for tasks. This approach helps create a culture of accountability and ensures success.
Let’s evaluate our systems, our words, and our expectations. When we communicate them clearly to ourselves and each other, we can work together to find alignment between them.
