Walking the Walk

When my oldest son Matt was six years old, we enrolled him in a private school in Atlanta. We chose the school for its impressive curriculum including an early intervention drug and alcohol awareness program. By the age of seven my son could identify every type of illegal drug on the street. He was also equipped with 50 ways to say ‘no’ to drinking. Although no parent can feel safe from the risk of teenage drug or alcohol abuse, we, as his parents, felt that we were doing the best we could to make our values known

One day, as I was returning from my evening run, I opened the refrigerator and reached for an ice cold beer. Forward thinking had caused me to place that beer in the freezer before setting out. The 100-degree Atlanta heat had me dreaming of that beer all the way home.

Just as I was taking my first gulp, I heard my son ask “Mom, isn’t that a drug?” This was our moment of truth. It became clear at that instant that whatever I said or did would communicate more about drugs and alcohol usage than program.

Everyday, we as leaders are faced with similar moments of truth.. We want our employees to be capable and enabled to work on their own. We want them to make the right decisions and to do the right things for our customers and our business. Books and detailed procedures manuals help. Posted value statements futher clarify. But neither provide solutions to every situation. In order to be independent and trustworthy, our employees need to know what to do in our absence. So they move beyond our words, and they watch what we do.

Leaders take action. We make decisions. It is through these actions and decisions that we show our people the way. And, it is at these moments where we will ultimately determine our credibility as leaders.

“You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?” – Full Metal Jacket