Bipolar Leadership

 “… a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8 KJV)

I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t over-promised, under-delivered, or had isolated moments of inconsistency at some point their leadership. All leaders experience this from time to time. However, if we develop a regular pattern of in-congruency, there will be a steady decline in trust, inevitably leading to a disconnect with people.

I describe a bipolar leader as one who constantly disappoints and disillusions public perception through wavering decisiveness, inconsistent actions, and unpredictable behavior. Some leaders are a moving target. If we possess any level of self-awareness, we can successfully maintain singularity in our leadership.

Leadership is all about trust. People will be generally hesitant to buy into your leadership unless they believe in your character. Believability being the operative word. This takes time. You must be patient and committed to the process. There are two important words to consider in regard to effectively building trust:

• Assignment: Your title and the responsibilities associated with it

• Alignment: The behavior and actions associated with your title

Alignment occurs when a leader’s decisions, actions, and behavior, consistently merge with their title. When these areas are misaligned, leadership falls off the rails. We lose credibility. Leadership alignment earns trust. Your assignment introduces you to your team, but the strength of your alignment endears you to your team.

When I was a young leader, one of my mentors made a profound statement that I will never forget. He said, “Tony, your actions should be so loud that people can’t hear what you are saying.” Trust is built on predictability. People know what to expect because they’ve seen you lead consistently over a significant period of time.

The four essential factors for building trust, singularity, and congruency in leadership are…

• Develop Authentic Relationships

• Establish Solid Accountability

• Exercise Good Judgement

• Demonstrate Consistency

Develop Authentic Relationships

Essential to maintaining singularity in leadership is the building of authentic relationships. When people trust your heart, they will more likely offer their hand. More importantly, when we feel connected to people, we nurture a genuine affinity towards them. Thus, we don’t want to let them down. It creates an emotional standard that helps guard our decisions and guide our actions. Proximity enforces integrity. People trust those leaders who make a greater emotional investment, and in turn, their trust inspires consistency in our character. This healthy cycle helps reinforce powerful leadership. 

Establish Solid Accountability

Accountability, simply stated, is the ability to take account. Healthy systems of accountability reinforce strong character and positive behavior. If we are surrounded with only “yes” people, divisive and self-destructive behavior may go unchecked potentially causing damage to everyone involved. For this reason, effective systems and structures must be established for leaders to submit to (i.e. policies and procedures, human resources, board of trustees, senior advisors, etc.). The consequences must be clearly defined and understood or there will be no expectation for compliance.

Exercise Good Judgement

One of the ongoing issues that leaders face is indecision and uncertainty. All too often, leaders step out before properly calculating the costs, determining the risks, and assessing the ROI (return of investment). If you don’t do these three things efficiently, you will find yourself retracting your decisions, stopping midway in your course, and even falling further behind than where you started. This creates multiple layers of frustration and separation from people. Before launching out, lean into your team for strategic input. Also, solicit insight and wisdom from experienced and respected leaders.

Demonstrate Consistency

This is perhaps the most common denominator of all great leadership postures. When you are able to consistently set forth vision and produce concrete results, you are well on your way to achieving consistency as a leader. Remember, you don’t always have to cross major milestones to prove consistency. It’s the small wins that puts you and your team in the running. A batter’s average is not based on the number of home runs, but rather, the accumulation of steady base hits.

One final and important caveat: consistency doesn’t mean perfection. There is no such thing as perfection. Simply stated, leaders are cognizant of their title, but more importantly, are consistently working towards alignment in the roles associated with their title. Leaders who build trust drive home the idea that they can be counted on and are committed to prove it over a significant period of time.