ACTivity/ Avoiding Sloppy Behavior

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

Manila, 3 April 2024 — Adopt a systematic approach to grow your leadership.

Story

It happened last week. A leader working with us shared her frustration about the sloppy behavior of some participants who failed to benefit as they should. Not showing up on time for scheduled activities was symptomatic of a lack of leadership discipline, she felt. I agreed with her.

In our time of constant distractions, feverish multitasking, and a risk of overwhelm, I recognize how easy it is for leaders to fall into sloppy behavior. Especially, to show up late—or not at all—for online meetings and activities. Failing our high standards for consistency leads to a slippery slope. 

How can we avoid and reverse a lack of discipline? This is where self-identifying as leaders, and respecting our practice to become Trusted Leaders matters greatly. We can align our behaviors with high standards and good examples of our leader role models, who find ways to consistently show up early or at least on time.

Challenge

We can also learn from research. According to Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, who passed on last week, people and organizations need a system when they want to learn and improve. 

To avoid sloppy behavior, he would advise that we grow our leadership with a systematic approach and collaborate with others for support and accountability. That’s the slow part. What about the fast part? Kahneman did recognize the value of human intuition and impulses. In his research, however, intuition proved to be effective only when it was combined with a systematic approach, and not when used on its own. That’s a remarkable finding.

Now, you might argue that if we didn’t think fast with our human optimism and habitual underestimation of tasks and requirements, many of humanity’s biggest projects would never have been started. Kahneman acknowledged that, yet added that they would generate better and sustained results when combined with a systematic approach.

Question

Combining fast and slow resonates with research on leadership development. In your team’s challenge to become Trusted Leaders, it matters a great deal how you show up and when. Discipline and consistency in your behaviors are as important as charisma in your communication as you seek to drive positive changes in your workplace. 

My question for you this week is how consistent you and your team are in showing up early to meetings and activities. If you’re getting known for sloppy behavior, it’s time to go back to basics and practice leadership together in a systematic way.

Let’s avoid and stop tolerating sloppy behavior. In our international Grow3Leaders community, we offer the Trusted Leaders certification to members who successfully practice 12 effective leadership behaviors over one year. Yes, it’s a marathon, and we use a systematic approach.

P.S. When you join Grow3Leaders, you invite three workplace colleagues to come along with you to form a Collab and practice together, giving and receiving feedback, and supporting each other as you grow in a systematic process.