The 2-Step Process that will Supercharge your Growth and Success

I like to keep things simple — like my definition of a leader as someone who “meets needs”. Although there are many more complete and correct definitions of leadership, I’ve found this one is easy to grasp and for others to take measurable action on.

Accountability and Trust

So let’s keep it simple with a 2-step process you can begin implementing in your work today that will advance your career, generate loyalty, and ultimately make the world a better place.

Does that sound too good to be true? It’s not.

Resolve to do these two things:

1. Deliver everything you promise, and that you are expected to deliver, on time. Always.
2. Track yourself on delivery; never rely on outside accountability. Instead, report completion.

These two items may look easy, seem like common sense, and are to be expected. But take a look at your team members, and an brutal look at your own work. How often does it really happen?

If you’re honest, you’ll find it’s about 10-15 percent of the time. Usually, things slip and end up a day late. Or you find that you need to remind people to get their part of a project done before you can finish your responsibilities. Or, you’ve promised something, but over time, no one has asked about it or seemed interested, and so you drop it without consultation.

Why will this model (absolutely) work for you? It comes down to accountability and trust.

This seem familiar? Accountability is one of the areas of dysfunction mentioned in the national best-selling book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. [If you haven’t heard me discuss this or you need a refresher, check out this video — it goes over all 5 dysfunctions in a quick and compact way.]

In order for us to achieve the best Results, Lencioni points out that first we must navigate well through Trust, Conflict, Commitment, and Accountability. By holding yourself accountable with your work, you are essentially letting your boss and your team know that they can trust you. The more you do this, the clearer that message will be to them.

And guess what happens when you start becoming known as the person who delivers on time, every time, without being nudged by endless strings of emails regarding over-due projects or incomplete tasks? Office superstardom. No joke!

Your leaders will know they can count on you to deliver. They’ll know they won’t have to worry about you being late on a deadline, or turning in incomplete work. You’ll set an example for your peers and, if you have them, your followers, too. Before you know it, you’ve set yourself up for a flourishing career.

Just do those two things consistently.

Now, of course office superstardom is great, but leaders don’t keep secrets. Once you’ve mastered this skill, teach it to your best fellow team members or followers. And watch the team flourish.

Thanks for reading,

Alan Feirer

Alan Feirer is a leadership trainer, Authorized Wiley DiSC Partner, Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Authorized Partner, and organizational development consultant. For the last 18 years, he has done business as Group Dynamic, helping people solve problems and get more done by working with managers, directors, leadership teams, staffs, and team members to maximize the potential of their organization through leadership training, coaching, team-building and communications training. 

Mr. Feirer lives in Winterset, Iowa, with his wife, Julie, and daughter, Mara. He holds membership in many professional organizations, including Optimists, Madison County Area Chamber of Commerce, the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, and the American Society for Training and Development. Feirer's other interests include competitive Scrabble, exercise, travel, dining, and anything Disney related.