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Leadership Strategies for Delivering Value

by Jim DeSena    

Customers, employees, almost all people, value consistency in making decisions about what to buy and what to believe in. When you deliver it, you increase the perceived value of your product or service. Here are three leadership strategies for consistently delivering on the value promise.

1. Make decisions consistent with your goals and values.

People tend to get into difficulties when they make decisions inconsistent with their goals or values, those things that are at the core, really important to them, their company, their customers or those close to them personally. How we make important decisions can be as important as the decisions themselves. With every decision there is a consequence. With important decisions, the consequences can be far reaching.

2. Produce results consistently.

Customers come to have certain expectations. When those expectations aren't met, they are disappointed, especially if their expectations are higher of you than they are of others. Wall street likes consistent growth. Analysts and investors react strongly and positively when a company exceeds their projected earnings. Providing a financial cushion is instrumental in meeting growth expectations during challenging times. Holding something extra in reserve during strong earnings periods will mean not over exceeding expectations and developing that cushion for when times aren't quite as good.

3. Behave consistently.

People judge us based on our behaviors, not our intentions. Inconsistent or unpredictable behaviors make it difficult for other people to know how to best work with us, or more importantly, whether they can trust us. It makes it difficult for people to plan.

Trust is centered on knowing that someone will do something they say they will do. It is based partly on certainty: Can I trust the honesty or integrity of this person? Competency and honesty are the two top traits that followers look for in leaders. They want to know that the leader knows what she or he is doing and that the leader is communicating all the information needed honestly.

Trust is a driving force in relationships, including those with employees, customers or managers. While trust isn't easily measured, you can be sure it underlies our motives and our responses. What are the attributes of an organization with high trust levels? Good communication, innovative thinking and less politicking. When an employee trusts her or his manager, what do they do differently? Speak up, take risks and go the extra mile.

Surveys have shown that when people travel, what they value most is consistency in a hotel property. Whether it is a luxury or economy brand, they want the accommodations and services to be the same wherever they go, whenever they return. People who go to their favorite fast-food restaurant want the same level of service no matter where they are. Isn't the same true for most of us with the products or services we purchase? We value consistency. So do, of course, our customers, and our employees


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