Page 187 - Fearless Leadership

174 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

mitments and credibility, breaking the automatic behavior of accepting
excuses for results, separating authentic commitments from casual prom-
ises, and learning how to elicit commitments from others by making clear
and direct requests.

HOW COMMITTED PARTNERS RELATE
TO COMMITMENTS
Committed partners have a distinctive and potent relationship to commit-
ments. They do not resort to automatic behavior of treating commitments
casually. Instead, they reaffirm the power of their word by treating com-
mitments with great care. They swiftly crush anything that threatens to
erode the integrity of their word, and they do not tolerate from others or
themselves broken commitments, empty promises, or slippery conditions
for fulfilling commitments. In a committed partnership, people hold
themselves and others accountable for doing what they say they are going
to do, or when appropriate, responsibly revoking a commitment.
These leaders have a high level of credibility and foster an environment
that exudes trust and confidence. They balance uncertainty in the world
with their conviction, assurance, and a sense of calm in the midst of a
storm. People follow these steadfast and impassioned leaders because they
can trust that their word is their bond. Fearless leaders send a consistent
message: together we will overcome any challenge and any daunting cir-
cumstance, and when tested, we will not falter.
Our automatic reaction is to shrink the game, take shortcuts, and set-
tle for less. How you rise above this reaction is dependent on how you
relate to commitments—yours and others—and sets the course for busi-
ness success or failure. Our worst and most ineffective behaviors are acti-
vated when we feel our survival is threatened, yet this is the very time
when we must stand for something that is greater than our individual
needs. We must soundly defeat pettiness, small-mindedness, and divisive
thinking to resurrect strong core values of integrity, accountability, and
commitment where our word will once again be synonymous with con-
sistent action.
You cannot be 100% accountable if you do not honor your commit-
ments and behave in a way that is consistent with your words. Your rela-