Be, Say, and Do

Leading is tough, there is no doubt about that. The people you lead and the colleagues with whom you interact with can derail a great day before it even gets started. As a leader, this makes it challenging at best and demotivating at worst. We must find ways to overcome these negative feelings that can creep in rapidly and often times, suddenly. Striving to be significant helped me overcome many of these and I believe it will for you, as well. When we strive to be significant, we want our efforts to be at a high level and held to a high standard so as to leave a positive legacy of leadership for those who follow in our footsteps.

Leadership to me is the ability to motivate people to do what they don’t want to do at a high level. In order to do this, we must remember as leaders that our followers watch how we ARE, what we SAY, and what we DO. People evaluate their leaders daily in these areas and in understanding and applying these three key elements, you will be well on your way to becoming a significant leader:

• BE: What standard do you hold yourself and others to? Just as saying one thing and doing another is demotivating and demoralizing for your followers, so is not holding everyone to a high standard. If you set the standard too low, everyone crosses the threshold and there is no personal or organizational growth. Yet holding a standard too high can make it impossible to achieve. The better approach is understanding where you and your people are and setting goals that begin to advance you to that high standard you ultimately want to achieve. I call this the +1 rule. The goal is to get everyone (yourself included) to strive to be 1% better than they were the day before. When taken seriously over time, that 1% builds and builds into something quite impressive and sets a standard that is not only achievable, but consistently growing. Be yourself what you want others to be, as well. It is as simple as that.
• SAY: What will you take a stand for? It’s easy to say that you believe in something, but will you stand firm on that belief when situations get tough? As I’ve traveled and interacted with thousands of law enforcement officers of all ranks all over the country, I have found that one of the biggest factors of low morale is people feeling that leadership won’t have their back if something goes down in the future. Are you a chief executive or a command officer who has the back of your rank and file? Do they know that and believe that? Saying it is one thing, but doing it is a completely different story. People will not forget what you say, so don't make promises you cannot keep. It is better to not make a promise than to make one and not follow through with it. Make sure what you say is something you will hold yourself accountable to do. That's how people learn to trust you as their leader.
• DO: Like they always say, "actions speak louder than words". What you do says a lot about you and what you believe in. Your beliefs and values will not only drive how you interpret situations and interactions, but it also drives how you respond. Taking the self-reflective time to truly journal your personal beliefs, values, and standards will help you create your “why” of leadership; it will also inform your “why” of each area in your life. “To know thyself is wisdom” as Socrates said. Make sure you take the time to do so. Remember, those you lead are watching what you do at all times, so make sure you think through before you do. If you want others to act a certain way, then you should be acting that way first.

Leading others is not easy, but as with anything worthwhile in life, simple steps toward an important goal will lead to success. And continuous success leaves a significant legacy, which is something we all want to leave behind.

Think of a key area in your life and ask yourself if you’re as significant as you want to be and what actions you can take to move forward in that direction if you need some more practice or guidance on it. Like I always say, "When leaders stop growing, those under them start dying". So make sure you are constantly working towards bettering yourself and encouraging others to do the same. That's what leadership is all about. Being the best you can possibly be and helping others to be their best, as well.

Until next time!

#BeSignificant.

- Dean