Page 177 - Fearless Leadership

164 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

and private, and listen for positive intention. In the following section
we examine how to build committed partnerships and add another prac-
tice: cleaning up and recovering quickly when there is a breakdown or
problem.

HOW TO BUILD COMMITTED PARTNERSHIPS
When you give your word that you are a committed partner, you make a
series of promises. Of course, making the promise is easier than fulfilling
the promise. You must have the highest level of integrity to keep your com-
mitments and communicate immediately when you feel you can no
longer support a person, group, or initiative. When breakdowns occur, the
explicit intention is to rapidly restore the relationship so partners can
quickly remedy the business situation.
An example of a committed partnership is marriage. There is a clear
set of rules and boundaries that both partners agree to maintain. Yet in
working relationships, we seldom define the type of partnership we want
and instead work with an implied and inconsistent set of rules. It’s a small
wonder that there are so many problems, assumptions, and breakdowns
that interfere with effectiveness. This is why committed partners make for-
mal commitments and live by their agreements. They establish a clear set
of guidelines for maintaining the committed partnership and ensuring
alignment.

Establish the Context: Commit to the Success of
Each Other Privately and Publicly
Everything starts with your commitment and creates the context for the
partnership. You cannot overstate your commitment to the partnership any
more than you can say “I love you” too much to your significant other. A
sincere commitment is meaningful and reinforces the context that com-
mitted partners share.
There are two levels of commitment—the commitment you have to the
success of each other and the commitment to mutual organizational goals.
You cannot have a committed partnership without both commitments
firmly in place. The following questions are useful in establishing a com-
mitted partnership.