Rule by respect not fear: Discipline yourself first to discipline
your followers
Whether you are the CEO of a large conglomerate or the general of an
army, discipline is an issue that no good leader will take lightly. At
some point, someone in your organisation will not follow rules or
guidelines. Making the right decision in such a situation will make the
difference between success and failure. You must properly discipline
those who break rules, for the good of your organisation. However,
properly disciplining your followers is easier said than done, and is a
delicate issue that you will have to manage intelligently.
You cannot afford to get too friendly with your followers
If you are too close to employees, you may find it difficult to take
action against someone in your team who has broken the rules or violated
policies.
For example, if someone is constantly being late despite warnings,
you must make a decision quickly without allowing it to set a bad
precedent by default.
Firstly, a leader should never be too close to his followers. While
you have to create a strong bond with the entire team, there are certain
dangers in becoming too friendly with any one person for reasons other
than sheer performance.
There is a danger that such a person may begin to think that he can
break the rules and get away with it. Unfortunately, this happens all
too often. If a business leader fails to discipline an individual
because of a close relationship, other members of the team will begin to
notice the treatment and will become resentful. If they feel that one
person can get away with anything, they too will think that they can do
the same.
Even the leader is not above the rules
No one should be above the rules, not even the leader. If they do
wrong, they should get the same punishment that is meted out to
employees. This creates an environment where everyone feels equal.
However, how you discipline your followers is important. You should not
be too harsh unnecessarily. If you do this, your followers will fear
you. You should never make your followers fear you. You should make them
respect you. You shouldn't discipline your followers in a way that makes
them resentful.
They should understand why they are being disciplined and what value
discipline creates for the business and vice-versa. Explain to them what
can happen when they don't follow rules. Show them the negative
implications of the entire operation. It is never a good idea to
discipline out of anger or deal with such issues or people emotionally.
Don't be seen as a weak leader
Being a leader can be stressful, as the decisions you make will have
an effect on the lives of the people who follow you. However, you should
not discipline your followers too lightly either. If you do, it will
send a message that you are a weak leader who is not serious about
employees following rules. Make sure that you discipline them in a way
that you will earn their respect.
All employees should embrace and live by the same level of
discipline. No one should ever receive more than the other. Even the
leader shouldn't be exempt.
An organisation set up like this will succeed, because everyone will
work at the same level of efficiency.
Great leaders should not rule by fear, but should always rule by
respect. Fulfilling relationships are very important for everyone. But
there are significant differences between being professionals and
friends, and being professional friends.
Professionalism is key to any relationship in the workplace. Your
life outside of work should be considered separate from your life at the
office.
It would be very easy to side with your friend in a dispute, but as a
manager, you need to hear both sides during employee conflicts. You
can't remain unbiased if you get too close to someone. Building a high
performing organisation is not an easy task, yet businesses need to
succeed.
Leaders should mirror the behaviour and level of discipline they want
subordinates to embrace. In the modern environment there is no better
way to make people accountable and obligated.
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