Defining Leadership: Reliability
There are many qualities that a leader needs to possess, one of the most important being reliability. Being reliable is more than just being trustworthy, it’s performing consistently, day in and day out at a high level. Each day that you are able to perform at a high level and can produce the same or better-than-expected results, you are building up trust and setting expectations – both of what others can expect from you, and also what you expect from others.
When you have gotten to a point where you consistently put out the same level of performance, you may feel as though you’ve made it. The challenge that we need to put on ourselves to become the best leaders we can be, and the best versions of ourselves, is to increase that level of performance, always striving to improve. It can be easy to fall into a routine. I’m not saying that routinely outputting a consistent level of performance is bad, but it is our job as leaders to strive to be better and improve each and every day.
Reliable leaders come at every level of an organization. You do not have to be the CEO or part of upper management to practice and build up your reliability. Think about different ways that you can become more reliable; You can show up on time or early every day, finish projects on time and at or above the standard, and cover shifts for co-workers. These are just a few of many ways to become more reliable. Choose one way to become more reliable and put it into practice today. Before you know it, your reliability will be through the roof.