Daily Leadership Tip #23 – Keep Promises, Even Small Ones
“Character is much easier kept than recovered.” – Thomas Paine
A person who breaks his word on little things is also likely to break his word on bigger things too.
Wes Zimmerman, author of Perception of a Difference, put it very clearly when he wrote, “It has been my experience that people possessing high integrity are honest in little things and big ones. They are honest with themselves. They tend to think about what they are going to say before they say it. Above all, they do these things consistently. Their consistency earns my trust.”
In contrast when someone breaks a promise, even a little one, it shows their character. They will tend to shade the truth and quote things out of context.
Once this character flaw is noticed, it is very difficult to gain back that trust that is lost.
When promises, even little ones, are kept consistently over time, the leader develops a level of trust with the people that he or she interacts with.
Brian Tracy, a famous speaker and trainers says that, “The glue that holds all relationships together — including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.”
So, if you want to strengthen your integrity and build solid trust with your team, make sure to keep your promises.
Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You.
Principle #23: Keep Promises, Even Small Ones.
