High Performance Leadership

Do you keep your promises? I do my best, and yet I know I've broken some serious promises. We can learn from broken promises but it's easier to learn than it is to heal. A broken promise is a lie proven. A broken promise is a heart stomped on and painted over brown. A broken promise hurts. High performance leaders keep their promises. I've learned that could mean to make fewer promises AND to keep track of them. Ask someone to hold you accountable. Write it down. Believe it. Making any promise lightly comes back a heavy load. The hurt of broken words exceeds whatever convenience felt worthy at the time. Here are some promises leaders make: Of course I've got your back You'll get all the training you need We live by our values every day at this company I promise to review your work and make it worth your while Your place is secure here... You get the idea. Promises that leaders make are promises that they should not break. The thing about pro...

Do you make a lot of promises? Leaders with credibility keep their promises. To keep their promises, high performance leaders prevent themselves from over-promising. Not too many promises. No promises too large. Tell the truth. Stretch yourself, but don't break yourself and for goodness sake don't break your word. We should make few promises because they are so hard to keep. No one wants to hear "I tried." We're listening for, "Yes, I did." -- doug smith

How do you feel about broken promises? I hate them. They break my heart. They tear me up. And yet, I've broken lots of promises of my own. It feels different when someone else breaks a promise. They've made a terrible mistake. And yet when it's me who has broken the promise I can easily find a rationalization or a reason or even put blinders on so that I don't see the broken promise. Some days we all have blinders on. Some things we can't see because they're too close. Then, what does a promise mean? Is it really so transitory? Is it really just the hope of a promise and not really a promise? When we make a promise, how long are we obligated to keep it? A promise is a promise. To break it requires a new agreement. If both people do not reach that new agreement, a broken promise is an infraction, a harm. I'm learning oh so well to be very careful about promises. Careful about what I promise, and careful about what I accept from others as a promi...