The challenge of disciplining

The points both of you make are spot on! It is interesting that both of you address a similar challenge. Mina speaks of the challenge of disciplining and Eugene addresses it as “being too nice or a pushover”. Another way of saying what both of you are is that sometimes servant leaders can be mistaken for being weak. I think some of these perceptions can come from people who think being a servant leader means that you need to let people slide when it comes to behavior and performance. This results in the leader being taken advantage of. However, this could not be farther from the truth. Regardless of the style of leadership one uses, a leader is still obligated to address performance and behavior issues. Being a servant leader does not mean that you look past people’s behaviors and actions. At the end of the day, a leader’s job is about results. It would be unfair to others if a leader let someone “slide”. It would mean the leader was not doing their job.

I really like Eugene’s solution, which is to establish limits and standards. Ensuring that each employee understands what is expected when it comes to performance and behavior is critical. When these expectations are set, when someone does not meet them, it should be addressed as soon as possible. I am interested in getting your thoughts?

As I mentioned letting things slide is a slippery slope. When we let people slide, it is called enabling. We are in fact enabling bad behavior. For example, when deadlines are not met or performance expectations are less than acceptable, these behaviors must be addressed. One of the most important things for a leader to do is to be fair and consistent. When we are not fair and consistent, it can appear that we are playing “favorites” by letting someone slide. People are not always going to like the decisions made, but if a leader is fair and consistent, it builds trust and respect.

Now, to be clear, sometimes when a deadline is not met, it could be that it is unrealistic. It is fine to adjust goals and deadlines, but letting people slide when they could clearly be attained is a disservice to the person. I would also say, it is a disservice to the rest of the people on the team. While it is difficult and can be challenging and uncomfortable, it is critical to be fair and consistent. I am interested in getting your thoughts?