It's my estimate that close to 75% of the daily stress leaders expereince would immediately disappear, if just one thing were to happen. I bet I have your attention now!
The greatest area of weakness in leadership I see on a consistant basis, would have to be people failing to deliver on things they have agreed to do. I know how easy it can be to promise something and then forget, get side-tracked, offer an affirmative but have no real desire to do it, become too busy that there simply isn't enough time. I mention here a few reasons, but we all know there are many more, that explain why things we say we will do, do not get done.
It is my opinion however, that when we repeatedly do not follow through on that which we say we will, we loose credibility. Sometimes this can be an excellent indicator as to whether someone is fit for leadership. Presently, I am waiting on a couple of people - who have expressed a desire to step into leadership - to return one of the multiple phonecalls and advances I have made to meet with them. After 3 weeks I'm beginning to see a pattern emerge, whereby leadership credit has been spent, before it has been issued. This goes along way toward helping me decide if someone is ready to lead.
THE CALL TO ACTION: Everything you say you will do, make sure you do it. Devise a mechanism to remember to do it, to make sure it gets covered, to bring your best to the task. If you know up front you can't do it, then say so.
My observation and experience is that when things are not followed through on, leadership credibility is only slowly warn away. If the pattern is persistent and constant, then regaining leadership cred is a long, long road. If it's not addressed at all, eventually you'll find that know one trusts you to do anything and here ends your leadership. So don't let it get to that stage, if this is you, arrest this now, change what you need to change,so you can rebuild your credibility.
