There are a ton of different characteristics that leaders bring to the table. Characteristics that their teams need and appreciate. But the one your teams need the most is your consistency.
As a leader, you are pulled in several directions. Sure you lead a team. But you also need to connect and collaborate with peers. And there’s “managing up.”
So you won’t be there every second of every day with your staff. They know it and you likely know it too.
So how do they make decisions in your absence? How do they move forward when you’re busy? How do they know what the right call is?
The answer, in a word, is consistency.
This is why I use mantras so often. By regularly using short and simple phrases that are my “ground rules,” my teams know what our approach is. They know the answers even when I’m not around.
When a decision moment arrives, and a leader is not available, most teams make the decision to make no decision. That lack of action is seen as neutral but can be costly.
A better move is to help your team know how you’d make a call – simply because you’re consistent and predictable.