Leadership: what's your unbreakable promise?

Published: 2011-08-15   There are 4 comments ... please add yours below

As a leader, what are the three things you’ll never do? Break a promise? Fail to show up? Dress someone down in public? Or, what? Seth Godin, the well-known blogger, recently offered a list that he titled “Delivering on never”*. It’s a fun title but what does it mean for your leadership? His focus on customers is spot on for us as leaders. Our teams and other followers are the customers for our leadership. So, here are five things that will help to make them buy.

1. Decide who matters. Seth talks about “picking your never” as a “fabulous way to position yourself.” He’s right so long as the picking is based on what your followers value, not just what you think is important. Let me illustrate: some lawyer clients of mine believe that the quality of their law is the most critical issue in their business. However, talking to their clients, I learn that the biggest gripe is late delivery. So, who’s right? Take a guess!
2. Don’t make your task impossible. You can’t deliver everything: say, the lowest price and highest quality. However, you can develop brand characteristics that are valued and within your reach. Mine include delivering more than I promise – thus making clients feel better about my fees! I drive myself to offer fresh insights or perspective on their business or its challenges. And, as above, I aim to be hassle free: always meeting deadlines!
3. Be easy to describe and consistent in delivery. Some of the best professionals I’ve known have had quite narrow offerings: being the absolute expert on a specific technology or aspect of tax. And, they’ve been boringly consistent in their positioning: not cheap today then over the top tomorrow; not innovative here but pedestrian there; not accessible at the start and nowhere to be found later on. Flip-flopping confuses (and annoys) people.
4. Have operating values that are clear and part of the deal. I point out to clients that they can terminate our contract at any time. But while it runs, I’ll tell things as I see them. For me, that’s professional honour: no fudging or cover-up. Some clients love it; others prefer not to have me around. That’s the way I like it.
5. Be open to feedback. If it’s OK for me to be frank, then I must accept the same and welcome the client challenging me and giving me feedback. And, many of them do it. They’re tough, intelligent and want to argue things through before agreeing to anything. It makes for a strong, equal and productive relationship. However, with my knowing absolutely that, in the final analysis, the client is the boss: their decision is final.

I apologise for coming at leadership somewhat tangentially this week. However, consultants and other service providers have to lead their clients. And, leading internal groups isn’t all that different. You may be senior but your team members are your clients. If they don’t want to come on the journey, they can’t fire you but they can certainly ignore you. It’s happening to national leaders more and more these days. It can also happen to you and me. It certainly did on one occasion when I was a CEO. What’s been your experience?

* http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/08/delivering-on-never.html

Dr. Timothy Pascoe AM
PhD (Cambridge), MBA (Harvard), BE & BEc (Adelaide)
Creator, V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership^®