You Get What You…

How would you finish that sentence?

Most people say “pay for.”

But as leaders, we need to think about it differently. “You get what you measure,” is a good start, but that can lead to transactional leadership, which, while sometimes appropriate, doesn’t usually result in meaningful change.

Today, I am reminded that as leaders, we get what we encourage. That is, we get what we invest in. And this, wielded well, means that we get what we expect.

Pause with me for a minute. If we get what we expect as leaders, we are, in some way, able to predict the future, to know in advance what will transpire because of our actions, which can be very powerful indeed.

I read regularly with my 7 year old son. We read aloud. He reads a page, then I read a page, and so on. 2 days ago, I encouraged him because he pronounced the word “inquisitive” perfectly, and, when asked, knew exactly what it meant.

I returned home today and he greeted me with, “Dad, today I read the word ‘unauthorized.’”

“Do you know what that means?” I asked.

“It means when you don’t have permission,” he responded, “but I don’t know what ‘authorized’ means.”

“Well, if ‘unauthorized’ means you don’t have permission, what do you think?”

“It must mean when you do have permission,” he concluded.

He wants to learn; moreover, he wants to demonstrate what he has learned. In part, this is because we have invested in this together, and I have encouraged it over time.

And, incidentally, I’m getting exactly what I expected, and I couldn’t be happier.

~ by stoshdwalsh on October 24, 2009.