Your Team is a Reflection of You

If you have been a parent for long, you have likely had those moments of pride – and others of regret – when you watch your child do something you know they picked up from observing you.

Of course, if you have led a team for long, you also know this feeling. Like our children, our team is a reflection of who we are and they are driven by what we allow. No amount of “do as I say, not as I do” will prove otherwise.

Think about your own standards and what you allow by your actions and your words (or lack thereof) on the following:

• Being on time
• Seeing a job through to completion
• Meeting deadlines
• Adhering to the highest standards
• Treating everyone with respect
• Dealing with difficult customers
• Stewarding company resources
• Working with other teams and departments
• Going the extra mile

Do your actions set the bar high? Do you model the standards and work ethic that you want to see in your teammates? And lastly, do you allow people on your team to perform below standards?

If you are not happy with your team, the first place you need to look is in the mirror. Ensure you are living out the actions and standards you want to see in the rest of your team. If you are living out your standards and you have a teammate who is consistently under-performing, then it is your responsibility to address that performance issue because it is your job as the leader to steward what is best for the organization. Ignoring an employee issue and the likely repercussions from it will not make it go away.

As you go about your day, remember, you are teaching your team about what your expectations and standards by who you are and what you allow.