#Dependable January 8

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

We take so many things for granted that always seem to work. I started to ponder all of the DEPENDABLE items in my life.

I started to realize that almost everything I thought of occasionally failed to deliver. For some things failing is a rare occurrence. I would classify two mundane things as DEPENDABLE, my house keys and dresser drawers.

Neither one has been perfect. One time my house key snapped off in the door and I was locked out. I also had a pair of socks fall behind a drawer causing it to get stuck.. Those events were outliers. I can count on my key working and my sock drawer opening and closing. Products and relationships become successful when they are DEPENDABLE.

When it comes to DEPENDABLE people I have been blessed to become associated with a long list.

Yet as humans, me included, we often remember the moments when someone wasn’t DEPENDABLE and totally forget past performance. That might be a post for another day on how one negative experience sometimes distorts our overall view of a relationship.

I rather focus on the value for any leader to be DEPENDABLE to their team. I have been mentored and coached by trustworthy and DEPENDABLE friends, teammates, and colleagues. What makes these remarkable people DEPENDABLE is that they hold themselves accountable for what they say or imply they will do. DEPENDABLE leaders are not perfect but they are consistent. When I have a problem or a predicament (David Ruth doesn’t have problems) I turn to that type of friend and leader.

As a coach I can tell you that having a DEPENDABLE player trumps the talented player over the course of a season. I have the scars of experience that no matter how talented someone is you have to count on them. The player that won’t go to class or is always late in high school will be the player in college who does the same thing. As leaders we all want people on our teams that are DEPENDABLE.

In any relationship having someone you trust is just as important. As a leadership coach one of the areas I often am asked to provide guidance on is how to get a team of people to become more DEPENDABLE. When you become reliable regardless of the role you are in you develop trust. I believe we all can gain some insight from the US Marine Corps on the value of being DEPENDABLE. Keep your promises, most importantly keep your word especially to yourself.

Cultivate a reputation for being DEPENDABLE.