How would you like to work for a leader that is long on promises and short on delivery? If you’ve already worked for this type of leader, how long did it take for you to lose faith and stop trusting this leader? Probably not very long at all! When a leader can’t be trusted, all kinds of problems are bound to arise.
My friend “Judy” has worked for the same company for the past five years. When she first started there, the owner of the company made all kinds of promises; “when this happens, you’ll get that reward; when this contract is signed, you’ll get that bonus”.
Unfortunately, when the contract was signed, the bonus never got paid. When the expected result was obtained, the reward was never given. When Judy asked what happened to carrot that had been dangled out in front of her, the answer was always the same…”things change, we can’t always get what we want”. At first, Judy thought she was doing something wrong or, perhaps, just did not understand what she thought had been promised. However, she soon learned from co-workers that the same thing was happening to them. It was the owner’s modus operandi. Needless to say, Judy and her co-workers no longer trust the owner and greet promised rewards with an attitude of “OK, whatever!”
Leaders who want their followers to stick with them through thick and thin know that their word must be their bond; that they must not make promises that they cannot or will not keep. Leaders who are trusted know that trust must be earned on a daily basis and that one broken promise destroy the trust that was earned over months or years.
A smart man once said that there were two ways to lead; from personal power and from position power
• Position power comes from the title on the door, “boss”. A boss can force people to do things regardless whether the followers have faith in him or her; or not.
• Personal power is earned. It comes from the faith that followers have in the leader; faith that promises made will be promises kept; faith that good work will be recognized and that credit will be given where it is due. Personal power is a sign that your followers respect and believe in you.
As a leader, if you say what you mean and mean what you say; if you keep your word, you will earn the trust of your followers. You will be well on your way to becoming the leader that attracts and retains the very best followers and teammates in the world.