As a leader you will find yourself having to stand for what you believe in, even if it is not popular and goes against the grain of the party line, your friends, and sometimes even family. However, if you fully believe you are right in what you are doing then you should have no problem as others will have long known to expect this from you. That is because you have set your standards and declared your expectations.
When you publicly acknowledge your expectation of others and of yourself you set the standard by which others will measure you. They will be ready to see how well you keep your word and meet the standards you set for yourself.
Once, you can consistently deliver on meeting your expectations then those that you have declared your expectations to will begin to meet yours. If you find yourself in a management position, your subordinates will initially work hard to meet your expectations of them, but there will come a time when meeting those expectations might not be easy for them to do, especially when you are not meeting your own expectations. Rest assured, if you do not notice that you are not meeting your own expectations, your staff will. They will just as quickly respond by not meeting your expectations of them.
Of course, they will also let you know if your expectations are a little too much for them. They will start to resist and push back. That is perfectly normal and will happen in almost any job setting. So do not fret too much over it when it does happen, be ready to give a little (where & when you can) but don’t give too much. If you come across as “caving in” to your subordinates then they will be the ones to set future standards and have their declared expectations met. As a manager, that is the last thing you want to happen.
Knowing when to give and when to take is one of those leader skills that will take time to master. Understanding that you are in charge is something that you have to fully grasp, especially if you are coming up the ranks within the organization and not too long ago you were right there among the people you are now leading.
It can be a difficult jump from co-worker to manager. However, if you started early in your career with the organization and declared your expectations from the get go, you should have no problem. If you think you haven’t done so, then ask yourself how could you have landed a management position within the organization without being an individual that declares their expectations of themselves and others? Any organization worth its salt will know who can and cannot get the job done, especially when they are hiring from within.
Now, if you are coming in from the outside then you are in a very unique position. You get an opportunity to start from scratch and declare your expectations early in your tenure with the organization. That is a very good thing. Then again there is nothing better than following through to ensure you and those you lead deliver on those expectations.
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