Let's return for a moment to the pleasant and warm days of summer.
It was August, my kids were with us in London, and they had taken up the dazzling challenge to go on an all English sports camp (although they don't yet speak a word of English as they live in Belgium most of the time :o ).
For a full week, they participated in a variety of typically English sports: cricket, rugby, tennis, but also football, and BMX!
Each morning we walked up to the park where the camp was being held, they had a great day, and in the evening we walked back home. The camp started at 10 am sharp, so every morning we went through the same route around the same time.
Already on the second day, I began to notice something about the route we were walking, and about the people we were crossing.
What seemed like a piteous routine at first, turned out to be the most undervalued leadership skill someone can possess!
Curious to discover what it is? Keep reading...
As from the second morning that we walked our way to the sports camp, I started to notice that we were crossing the same people we had crossed the day before. They were on their way to work, taking the same route at around the same time. Nothing spectacular, right?
Well, yes and no.
For most people, it was indeed more or less the same routine they were going through. Sometimes we were earlier, sometimes they were earlier, sometimes they didn't show up, and suddenly they did again the day after. But one man defeated them all!
He was as precise as a Swiss clock. Each day at the same spot, we crossed this old man, riding his bike, and always carrying one single white rose on the back of his bicycle.
At first, I felt a lot of pity for him. How could he be so rigorous in his routine? Because what we saw here, was probably only a small snippet out of his well organised and completely measured day (at least that was my assumption).
For me, this was (and is) completely unthinkable -especially in a professional context- to be able to live by such a strict routine. As an entrepreneur and service provider to several clients, every single day looks different. Different in timing, and different in location.
But this guy showed no sign of deviation what so ever!
The same time, the same route, always biking at the same pace, with the same expression on his face, carrying the same white rose on his luggage carrier. He had probably already been doing this for years, and he will probably continue to do so for many years to come.
In a bustling city like London, where everything needs to go quick and where everybody lives at an almost deadly pace, this guy is a beacon of moderate continuity. And by being so, he stands out completely. Probably without knowing it, probably without bothering himself about it.
And that's exactly the leadership lesson we can learn from this guy!
Let me explain:
As a leader, you need to be the constant in all the hectics of the day. You need to have the vision and show direction to master all the challenges of daily business. You are the constant in all the change programmes that take place for the best. Change is the only constant in business, and you must lead that change, but you must also be the rock in the surf that people can rely upon.
That requires a lot of trust from your team members. And one of the best ways to build that trust is to exhibit trustworthy behaviour. Don't rush, don't panic, no excess, or as the old man on his bicycle: show the same routine over and over again.
And indeed, it worked, because I still think about this man as a very trustworthy person, although I've never actually met him or spoken to him. But if he would ask me for money, and promises me to pay me back tomorrow, I would believe him! Just like many of you would do too! And that's the result of the behaviour he showed every single day.
For you as a leader, it's exactly the same.
If you become predictable in your behaviour, you will become a stronger leader!
Make use of every situation, to show -and expect- the same meeting habits, to comment on certain situations in the same way, to hammer on the same values every single day, to react in the same way to different people.
This predictability will make people completely experience what is important to you, and by extent for the project, company, or business. And the stricter you are in that, the easier it is for your team members to understand it and live by it.
So becoming predictable in your leadership style and your reactions is probably your next challenge.
Assess this for yourself. See how differently you react in different situations, with different people in front of you.How small jokes or laughs with things that happen can undermine your predictability. And then instead, try to become very consistent in everything that you do, say, or mark as important. Even when it's just a silly remark. Even when it's on a Friday evening. Every (re)action is an opportunity to build your predictability, and so your trustworthiness. Because that is what people want to see before they want to follow you into every direction needed to succeed in your (company) mission!
Are you intrigued by this concept of predictability for you as a leader?
I have given an interactive lecture about it at the FHR Business School, and it would be a pleasure to give this lecture within your organisation / (management) team as well.
Or are you more intrigued by the idea of assessing and improving your predictability?
Then let's have a conversation so we can discover what it is exactly what you need.
Contact me by filling out the contact form, or immediately grab a spot in my calendar by clicking the button below.
(click the button, choose your location (London, Belgium, or online), choose for a (re-)connect session, and choose the most appropriate moment for you)
Speak to you soon!
Written by
Dennis Fredrickx, Integrity Coach & Business Booster
Dennis helps Ambitious Leaders to reach more in an easier way.
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