How Words Become Deeds

Recently we've discussed how technology leaders absolutely cannot become absolutists, and how being a successful leader means you sometimes need to deceive (but not lie to) your team.

Heavy stuff! Are we advocating for you to be untrustworthy?

In fact we're actually advocating for exactly the opposite: you need to be trustworthy to be effective.

How can you show that you're trustworthy? 

One of our favorite executive coaching gurus, Scott Eblin, put it succinctly: increase the time you take as a leader to make a decision. That's right: you are always better off as a leader not making an in-the-moment decision unless you must do so. 

You should exercise your intellectual capacity to assess and recall facts, make calculations, and make judgments. But, as a leader, when you say you will do something or that you endorse a course of action, it's a 'done deal' -- no going back now.

When you increase the time you take to make a decision, you are demonstrating respect for different stakeholders, including organizational processes, customers, investors, and business unit equities. It's OK to disagree with a stakeholder, and to do that effectively you need to show through taking a bit of time for consideration that you have considered their perspective. 

This is especially in a technical arena such as cybersecurity. You're going to know more than other stakeholders, and at the same time you need their support and cooperation. if you rush to the answer to be "right" or show how much you know, you lose. If you take a considered pause to reflect and consider your response, you win.

When you win, your stakeholders might disagree but they will find you to be thoughtful and to act with integrity. 

When your words become the basis for your behavior, that's trustworthiness. People putting their trust in you means everyone is more cyber-secure.

Back to the point of the 'down with absolutism'/'deception is sometimes needed' posts: Your natural human reaction as a supervisor is to be a boss who is The Boss or who is a People-Pleaser. Aim for a middle course instead. Consider your options, thank people for their input (even if it's dumb) -- all of this extends the time between the input and your reaction -- and then ask for time to take it under advisement. No promises made, and later -- none broken. Other results? You make that stakeholder feel important; and, You win. 

Ask us how to move from deliberation to decision to winning.