Make no mistake about it. The consequences are severe. When you don’t live up to your commitments, the people who judge you—harshly—are your team.
They want a leader they can believe in. A leader with a clear vision and a compelling goal. A leader who will value them, support them, equip them, and coach them.
They want to believe. They want to achieve.
But when you raise their hopes, get their buy-in, yet don’t do what you need to do, then you massively let them down. When you point to the goal but don’t give them the resources to achieve it, you let them down. When you provide them with skills but not the authority to apply them, you let them down. When you talk the big talk but don’t hold accountable the few who don’t do their part, you let everyone else down.
And what does your team think about you when you do that? You’re weak. You lied to us. You got us excited and had us believe we were going to achieve something worthwhile. Instead, you let us down. We were committed but you weren’t committed.
For all the time and energy spent crafting a vision, developing a strategy, and enlisting your team, ultimately, it all comes down to one thing. Your commitment.
Ask yourself this: Do you want to achieve the goal? Really want to achieve it? Really, really want to achieve it? Or are you committed to achieving it? Committed to doing what you need to do to make it happen?
Make it happen.
Michael
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