How to Gain the Trust of Others by Staying on Schedule
Double booking is never good. Usually, individuals can be easily forgiven. But when it comes to managing the schedule for a public entertainment venue, double booking is the one of the worst things that could happen.
I marvel at how the staff for every major sporting and entertainment venue can manage such a bizarre schedule with such consistency. One night the arena will be hosting a concert and the next night it’s a monster truck rally. Pulling off events like this requires a type of planning that is difficult to comprehend.
When a venue fails to plan, it means more than just a double booking: it means lost revenue and the potential for future loss of business. It could even mean the loss of jobs.
A promoter knows the importance of booking the right venue and looks for a location that meets the many requirements of each particular event. Competent promoters can tell very quickly when a venue has all its ducks in a row. They can also tell if a particular location will be difficult to work with.
Stability Leads to Trust
As a leader, planning is just as important, but every plan must be sustainable if it is to be successful. The most thought out plan is of no long-term value if it is not sustainable.
[Tweet “Leaders build trust with others by demonstrating that their leadership isn’t capricious.”]
Leaders build trust with others by demonstrating that their leadership isn’t capricious. Leaders must devise a plan that allows them to remain steadfast to their priorities, no matter what the season of life.
I believe we can bake in stability into nearly every plan. How? By keeping the following areas in check:
- Emotions: Individuals look to the emotional stability of a leader to help maintain their own level of emotional stability.
- Time Management: When a leader demonstrates a consistency in time management it assures followers that the leader will be there when they need him or her.
- Communication: Significant changes in the way a leader communicates will unintentionally give that leader multiple personalities in the minds of followers.
- Commitment: The leader who plans to fulfill all of his or her commitments, no matter the season of life, will gain the trust and admiration of those around them.
[Tweet “Followers lean on their leaders to help maintain their own level of emotional stability.”]
There Is Room for Calculated Changes
When a leader commits to the areas above they must be willing to give up certain liberties and freedoms with their time and in their relationships. The house of leadership is built upon a foundation of sacrifice. We must carefully consider the cost of every point of our plan to determine how it will impact others.
That said, leaders are not prisoners. There is room for calculated changes in every plan. As a matter of fact, changes will always be necessary to maintain the sustainability of a plan.
The Greatest Benefit of Being a Stable Leader
The immediate benefit of stability is predictability. Others can predict how you will respond based on past interactions. But, there is a hidden benefit that is of even greater value. Stable leaders are constantly making deposits into the tank of grace. Life rarely goes as planned and when your situation radically changes (such as when your wife goes into labor six weeks early) the grace you’ve earned over the life of the relationship is applied accordingly.
[Tweet “The house of leadership is built upon a foundation of sacrifice.”]
In every professional sports league, there are only a few teams who make it into the playoffs. When brackets are set, the arena staff quickly goes into ‘scheduling’ mode to account for the last minute venue changes the playoffs bring. As they make the necessary changes, they must rely on the grace and trust their past stability has banked with each business partner.
The life of the leader requires the same.
Nice post, Dave. Predictability may sound dull to some, but I’m sure every employee appreciates a leader that they can count on to be consistent! A leader who constantly changes their schedule and does too much would stress anyone out!
Agreed! Thanks Emily.
Thank you for this post. I have stepped into a new leadership role and I appreciate your wisdom on all things leadership. Blessings!
Congrats on your new role Stephanie! Glad you’ve been enjoying the blog. Please let me know if there are any topics I could write on that you would find helpful! Thanks for commenting.
Great info, Dave! I was reminded of an article I recently read on entrepreneur.com which explains how people who are consistently late to appointments are not totally trustworthy. It was an eye opener for me as I looked back at failed business partnerships I realized this was a common theme. People who cannot manage their time often cannot manage other areas of their life. Here is a link if you want to take a look: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230107
Great article, David. I loved this line, “If you are not a punctual person, others you wish to positively influence negatively judge you.” He goes on to say that every influential and successful person has their own systems for sizing up potential relationships. Great comment, great share… thanks for chiming in!