Recently, a friend of mine and I were discussing
leadership. Specifically we were
discussing the fact that consistency is a myth. There seems to be some idealistic thought
whereby we handle all people and all situations the same, or in a consistent
manner. In reality, this is an
unobtainable goal and as a result, we end up frustrated, discouraged, or
feeling like a failure.
The truth is that every situation and every individual must
be handled differently. Some people are
high achievers and all they need from us is the nod of the head or a pat on the
back. With these people we can approach
leadership in a very laissez-faire manner.
There are others who tend to be driven, but need a little more
coaching. With these folks our
leadership will be authoritative, but not completely controlling. Then there are those who have to be
pushed. These are the ones with whom we
have to be authoritarian. We are going
to have to tell them how, when, and what to do.
The recognition of the consistency myth helps us to be free
to pursue success. We need not waste a
lot of time worrying about consistency.
Every person and every situation are going to dictate a different
response on our part. Trust your
instincts. Do what you know to do. In the end, both we, and the people we lead
will win.
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