The Value of Consistency

How do you handle success?

Do you handle it the same way you handle failure? Or is there a difference, and if so, why does it matter?

Working for and with my Dad taught me many things. And those lessons have come through successes and failures.

One lesson that sticks out to me relates to success and failure, and my response to both.

If you’ve watched sports at all, you’ve probably heard how some teams do certain things better than other teams. That’s what makes them successful. Or maybe you’ve heard about the skill of certain athletes and how that skill factors into the team’s success.

But every now and again I hear someone mention the word “consistency.” It means, “the achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time.”

So what does it mean to be consistent in my leadership?

Consistent leaders, according to the Harvard Business Review, show up on time, work hard, set goals and achieve them, are careful planners, produce excellent products and experiences, are diligent, resilient, and gritty.

That’s quite a list, and much of it relates to my work performance. But I think consistency in leadership also pertains to my character, particularly with regard to how I handle success and failure.

If I react to success one way, and then fly off the handle or get bent out of shape when I fail, then I am creating an unstable work environment.

Super Bowl winning coach, and best-selling author, Tony Dungy says, “You can't always control circumstances. However, you can always control your attitude, approach, and response. Your options are to complain or to look ahead and figure out how to make the situation better.”

These sobering words carry truth for the leader, truth for me. I can’t control circumstances, only my reaction to them.

So, how are my responses? How am I choosing to respond? Am I aware at how my responses affect my team?

Coach Dungy was known for reacting the same way after a loss or a win. He showed passion, of course, but his team watched him remain unflappable during the ups and the downs. That kind of consistency breeds confidence and settledness into a team.

There’s a lot there I can apply to my own life, as a leader and as a person. Will I let the waves of life’s failures and successes toss me about? Or will I choose a more consistent path?  

Though I seek to be consistent in how I work. I also want to be consistent in who I am.