Getting people to do your bidding may be what some call effective leadership. But beware! Leadership by trickery is what will make your team unduly suspicious of you. If you want to develop a long term foundation for leadership, then take the larger picture into account and think about how your actions will impact your colleagues and the company you work for. Thus, to build a foundation of trust, you must act with integrity.
This means that you have to keep your promises. Leaders often make commitments when they are in a friendly mood and then forget about them or don’t follow them through. Once, however, you have the reputation of meaning what you say, you will automatically increase your integrity amongst your colleagues and co-workers.
However, a word of warning. If and when you commit to something, make sure that you put it within the correct time span. You can not promise someone a promotion and leave it in the air. You have to assure the employee of the time as well.
It could very well happen that despite your very best efforts, a promise you made does not come through. The best way to handle this situation is to be upfront and honest about it, and tell the person the truth. If you hide and prevaricate, it will only damage your reputation. Do not apologize and try to come up with some other way to work things out, because you will cut a sorry figure.
This means that you have to keep your promises. Leaders often make commitments when they are in a friendly mood and then forget about them or don’t follow them through. Once, however, you have the reputation of meaning what you say, you will automatically increase your integrity amongst your colleagues and co-workers.
However, a word of warning. If and when you commit to something, make sure that you put it within the correct time span. You can not promise someone a promotion and leave it in the air. You have to assure the employee of the time as well.
It could very well happen that despite your very best efforts, a promise you made does not come through. The best way to handle this situation is to be upfront and honest about it, and tell the person the truth. If you hide and prevaricate, it will only damage your reputation. Do not apologize and try to come up with some other way to work things out, because you will cut a sorry figure.
