“Do as I say, not as I do.” Have you ever been told that? And did you follow their words or their footsteps? As the leader of your organization, you must lead with courage and conviction or you will eventually find that you lack followers. As philosopher Thomas Paine famously said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”
Sometimes, we think it’s easier to tolerate an issue rather than confront it. But when we do nothing, the issue spreads. When executives tolerate something instead of taking a stand, they hurt their credibility with the whole organization.
Leaders understand that what they do is far more important than what they say. Trust evaporates when a person’s actions don’t line up with their words. Unfortunately, many executives tolerate situations rather than confront the issues.
Strong leaders have the courage to deal with issues. For example, if you have weak performers in your organization, you are endorsing mediocrity and poor performance. Not only are you wasting the organization’s money and everyone’s time, you may discourage and eventually lose strong performers who want to be part of an organization that values excellence.
When you’re tolerating something, you’re allowing that issue to drain your energy and the energy of the other people in your organization. Everyone gets frustrated by it. Dealing with the issues takes courage, but the discomfort is temporary. The long-term gains will include respect, inspiration, and a far more effective organization.
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACTION PLAN
What are you tolerating that you could take action on now?
What conflicts have you been avoiding?
“People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.”
~ Lewis Cass
