Following Through Is An Integrity Test

A leader who does not follow through on commitments will never gain the full trust of the people they are called to lead.

I am not an organizational savant. I have a big picture, big idea outlook on life. My personality drives me to please others, while at the same time moving quickly. As a result—especially in my younger years—my follow-through stunk. I would promise to call someone back, send an email or get a customer’s information and you guessed it—I’d never do it. I used the excuse, “It is just my personality.” In actuality, however, it was an issue of Integrity.

Sales people are notorious for overpromising and underdelivering when it comes to following through on commitments. As a sales leader for 15 years in the corporate world, I watched individuals consistently make commitments and then drop the ball. The individuals who did this were not bad people. They were just forgetful and disorganized people. As I have grown older (or chronologically superior, as my Dad likes to call it) I've realized this trait does not only affect salespeople or certain personalities.  Lack of follow through affects a majority of people in business - including leaders.

A leader who does not follow through on commitments will never gain the full trust of the people they are called to lead.

Think about commitments we make every day:

• I will follow up with you next week.

• I’ll get you data by the end of the day.

• I’ll check on why your paperwork is held up in HR.

• I’ll be at your next game.