Leaders reap what they sow

Does your boss frequently miss or reschedule 1-1s with their boss? Are they predictably 6 minutes late for executive team meetings? Do they wing it when presenting to the board? Are they secretly texting during a customer meeting?? 

Of course not. They are present, on-time, on-point, bringing their A game. 

Yet…they often do such things when interacting with their own team members. No judgement - things are busy and stuff comes up.

The fact is though…as humans, when we are treated as a second tier priority, over time, we start to lose our edge. Minor resentments build, confidence takes a hit and we protect ourselves. And then performance dips - slightly. Quality, attitude, thoroughness…small but noticeable. 

So leaders need to be aware. It is easy to take team members for granted. They forgive and even joke about it with you. But you inevitably find yourself in a position where you can feel the shortfall in performance. And unfortunately, it is often too late to turn it around. 

This is not new news. It may have even happened to you.

So it is on you to break the cycle - and not be tempted to revert to the - “I got through it…why are people today so sensitive?” thinking trap. That my friend, will get you nowhere!

Treating your employees like you treat your most important customer is the most effective lever you have to sustained team performance.