What you tolerate, you accept. Often, it’s the seemingly small or insignificant things like being a few minutes to an important meeting or call, working on unimportant things while ignoring priority items or telling “white lies” as excuses.
While only a few minutes late to a meeting or telling a white lie might seem like no big deal in the grand scheme of things, it is still being late and a lie, in this case. When does a little lie become a big lie? When does a few minutes late become late? Do your teammates know your lie tolerance level? Do they know when a bit late becomes too late?
As a leader, if your people see you being a tad late to meetings or calls or tell white lies as excuses, they will do the same. And because you lead by example, you have no basis to criticize or reprimand them because your actions speak volume and that’s what they’ll follow. Ultimately, you’ll let others do the same with no reaction on your part and no corrective actions to put an end to the behavior, thereby encouraging the behavior.
What you do, you accept. What you accept, you become. Never settle for any behavior you don’t want in your environment. Discourage such behaviors with corrective actions. Lead by example and be intolerant of the smallest measure of undesirable behaviors.
#culture #leadership #noexcuses