Consistency in Leadership Is A Double-Edged Sword

Consistency in leadership is more than just being dependable or aligning your values with your behaviors. The best leaders understand that consistency is a double-edged sword that can build strong cultures, or become a weapon when applied inappropriately.

Consistency becomes a weapon when

• You are trying to trap someone; e.g. “Yesterday you got mad when I used profanity, but today you said a four-letter word. You are a hypocrite.”
• You are trying to justify your own behavior; e.g. “You made me wear my mask over my nose, but I saw three people breaking the rule over lunch and nobody enforced it.”
• You are nurturing a grudge; e.g. “See, I knew you couldn’t be trusted.”
• You overdo fairness to gain control; e.g. “Everyone was invited to the celebration party, but not everyone contributed equally to our team’s success.”
• Authenticity is used as an excuse to avoid meeting people where they are at. “I’m just being true to myself.”

Consistency is counterproductive when

• Doubling down on a bad idea to save face
• Sticking to your guns just to prove a point
• Avoiding change when new information suggests otherwise
• Enforcing policies without consideration of context

Consistency builds up your culture when leaders

• Show up healthy, energized, and ready every day
• Apply the same rules of engagement in every interaction, including conflict
• Stay out of distress. Because when we are in distress we often behave at odds with the best interests of the people we lead.

Consistency matters most

• Around behavioral norms for how we treat each other
• In the alignment of mission, strategy, and execution
• In Daily interactions that build trust

To be better leader, learn when consistency matters most, and when it should take a back seat to agility.

Enroll in a Compassionate Accountability® workshop today and learn how to balance consistency with agility.

Copyright Next Element Consulting, LLC 2021