One of the many leadership traits is demonstrating consistency. In today’s workplace, everyone is burdened with more tasks than ever. Being a leader is learning to balance everything, saying no when necessary, and allowing yourself time to rejuvenate. Consistency is your ability to always adhere to your values and intentions regardless of circumstances (Morgan et al., 2018).
Are you a “sometimes” or an “Always” person?
Sometimes people are those whose behavior you cannot anticipate or rely on. Always people, are those whose behavior you can depend on, meaning you follow through on all commitments. Being an always person opens doors to opportunities because others learn to rely on you because of your dependability.
Consistency is completing the small steps that, over time, lead to larger successes.
Three ways to develop consistency:
- Form preparedness habits
- This means that you are always prepared mentally and physically—the ability to pivot quickly in an emergency.
- Do one less thing.
- Creating a habit takes risks. And it can be scary to say “no.” Remember saying no does not mean never; it means not right now.
- Having less to do, allows you to give more to the priorities at work, home, and everywhere in between.
- Create capacity.
- Good habits are not made overnight. Work towards improving a little at a time. Celebrate the small wins along the way.
- Learn how to be more effective and productive. It starts with good time management.
As leaders, you must develop a sense of accountability for your actions. We ask others to be accountable, and we need to look inward and be responsible to ourselves. If you are so busy that your routine s killing your credibility, such as you are always late, you are constantly missing meetings or rescheduling. Rather than blaming life and other things and people, it is time to make some changes, starting with time management. Remember, busyness is not the same as accomplishment. People can be busy but not produce.
Ask yourself what is going on:
- I am late because I didn’t plan appropriately
- I have no boundaries in life
- I am rescheduling again because this isn’t a priority for me
- I want you to feel sorry for me because I have too much to do
- I don’t know how to manage my time
Time is nonrenewable – you cannot get more of it. All you can do is prioritize and make the most of what you have, meaning you must protect your time and invest it wisely.
Success, even the smallest of victories – gives you the motivation and energy to keep working.
Consistency and busyness are not the same things. You must demonstrate consistency when stressed, overworked, and performing at your best.