“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge. And one of the most important ways to do that is to simply be consistent.” – Simon Sinek
One of the secret sauces for a leader to create momentum in your leadership and building of your culture for your organization and even in your home is consistency. Consistency is like the salt in your leadership stew – too little, and it’s bland; too much, and it’s overpowering. Finding that perfect balance is key to creating a culture of momentum and growth. So, let’s work on a few ways to sprinkle some consistency sauce into your leadership and watch the flavors of success unfold!
In 2018 we started a program nominating (2) of our field staff as our “Team Members of the Month” each month. I personally took on the responsibility to own the program, with the nominees only to be chosen by our management team. Each month, I would be the one to print the certificates, frame them, contact the nominated employees, meet and give them their secret gift that we don’t share publicly(by design), and snap their photos holding the certificate. At first, the program was kind of a joke. We were too busy to nominate anybody so we’d forget a month, and do it reactively the next month. So nobody was taking it seriously. Or the people that were chosen, got poked fun at as “brownnosers”. But I knew I needed to stay consistent with it. After about six months, our people started to compete for it. And being chosen was a brag-worthy thing! We are now going on our 6th year of the program, and I can humbly say that it is one of the most sought after nominations our field staff strives for! Each month when I humbly get to make the call letting them know they were nominated by our leadership team, the responses I get are priceless. It’s no coincidence when I look at our retention, that many of the hundreds that have been nominated over the last 6 years, some multiple times, are still thriving with us today! A few of them even now holding a seat on our leadership team! Consistency is KEY. It’s easy to give up when things don’t seem to be working out like we want them to.
Imagine a ship without a rudder – it drifts aimlessly, at the mercy of the waves. Similarly, leading without consistency leaves our people feeling lost and unsure of what’s next for them. Consistency simply provides direction, stability, and a sense of predictability that allows individuals to thrive. Consistency doesn’t mean being rigid or inflexible. It’s about delivering on promises, upholding values, and maintaining a steady course even when the waters get rough. Whether it’s communicating expectations, providing feedback, or making decisions, consistency builds trust, confidence, and gives credibility to your leadership.
Here are three small, but big result delivering examples of consistency…
1. Consistent Performance Evals – Same time of year, same metrics reviewed and shared: It mind boggles me how many organizations do not give consistent performance evaluations. When we began to implement these at Atlas, so many team members told us this was the first time they had ever received performance feedback. We knew then we needed to be consistent with them. Don’t wait until there is turmoil in your culture to let your people know how they are doing. Or, don’t pick a time when things are calm and smooth to let people know how things are going. Pick the same time(s) of year and schedule them even 1-2 years in advance in your calendar. Your people will appreciate the consistent feedback. Whether it’s good, bad, or ugly. Don’t keep them in the dark on how they are doing! Note: Performance evals are a time for you to evaluate your people, not for them to tell you all the things you might be doing that they don’t like. Schedule that feedback (or feed forward) for another time! And eval should take no longer than 15 minutes of yours and your team member’s time. (If you want an example of our eval process, shoot me an email reply and I’ll forward it over to you).
2. Do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it, in the way you said you were going to do it: This should come without an explanation, but I’ll unpack it a bit if it goes over your head. You promised to give your crew member a pay raise and it’s been 7 months and they haven’t received it. You promised to have a sit down with one of your team leaders to help them navigate a problem they are dealing with, but you’ve been ignoring it. You committed to upgrading a piece of equipment that is not dependable. Surprise, surprise. It never happened. What you don’t realize is that you get a reputation. You think it’s just a careless oversight. It’s “no big deal,” right? I mean, you’re a leader. And you focus on the big stuff, and these little promises don’t mean much. After all, if you try to do everything, you won’t do anything. You justify your behavior by deluding yourself into thinking you have your priorities straight. Doing what you say you’re going to do is an element of all successful leaders. Failing to do what you say you’ll do erodes credibility. After each one of your failed promises, your people subconsciously add a question mark to the end of it. I love the way CJ Jung said it… “You are what you DO, not what you SAY you will do”.
3. Hold your people (and yourself) accountable: Accountability is my word for 2024! Not just for those under my charge, but even for myself. Accountable team members are empowered to do their work and know what’s expected of them. Instilling accountability in your culture means that they’re expected to meet production goals, adhere to the company values, understand company policies and work toward larger team goals and objectives. Empowered team members are given latitude to work as part of a team or independently, as long as they know what is expected and are held accountable to their actions. Teams celebrate successes as a collective win and share in the failures. Accountability isn’t blaming team members for their mistakes or punishment, however. Accountable team members take responsibility for their actions, success or failure and the consequences in order to improve. Without accountability, there’s no motivation to achieve any sort of goals. What keeps a team member striving for success or working toward a deadline if nothing is ever acknowledged?
If you read these blogs, or hang around me enough, you hear me use the word momentum a lot. You know, that magical force that propels teams forward with unstoppable energy! Consistency is the FUEL that ignites momentum. When leaders consistently demonstrate commitment, integrity, and follow through, we set the stage for success. Think of momentum as a snowball rolling down a hill – it starts small but gathers speed and size with each consistent push. As leaders maintain a steady pace and reinforce positive behaviors, momentum builds, driving progress and achievement.
Let’s tie a bow on this… Consistency isn’t just a leadership trait; it’s the cornerstone of a thriving culture. By leading with consistency, you create a ripple effect that energizes your team, cultivates momentum, and fosters a positive, productive work environment. So, sprinkle on that dash of consistency, ride on the wave of momentum, and don’t forget to have a little fun along the way – because that’s the recipe for success! To be a world class leader, you don’t need to be an expert at 50 things. You just need to work on a few items of mastery, and be consistent with them. When you do this, watch out! What are (3) things you can start TODAY being consistent with? Start small, and work your way up!
Spoiler alert: Next week, we will unpack the same concept of consistency, but we will apply it in your personal growth! After all, when we as leaders work consistently to get better ourselves, everybody around us gets better.