Why Follow-Through Matters in Leadership

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

What do you do when a manager does not follow through on actions that you have discussed? The question came from a director who was becoming increasingly more frustrated with the performance of one of her managers. The manager commits to actions during meetings, and then routinely does not follow through. When confronted, she becomes defensive and contends that she is very busy but will get to it soon. Whether she realizes it or not, the manager is developing a reputation for being unreliable. It could eventually stall or even derail her leadership career.

Sadly, this story is a common one that I often hear a version of during a leadership development session. It doesn’t take many of these failed commitments before staff or higher leadership lose faith in your ability to make change happen. Credibility is a cornerstone of leadership. Without it, your team loses trust in you. Lack of follow-through can quickly become a habit in certain situations where the organization is undergoing massive changes, and no one is held accountable. Finishing what you start is a commitment that you make to yourself and others. It is a choice. If you don’t approach your work in an intentional way and finish what you start, it won’t happen.

The authors of Winning Well, Karin Hurt and David Dye suggest that finishing becomes easier if you work at automating it. The moment you set an intention, make an appointment with yourself or with the other person where you will complete the plan or take the next step. The key is when. What moment in time will you follow up, follow-through, and finish? Five behaviors to implement to do this include the following:

Don’t procrastinate easy to complete tasks. Instead to them right away.
Set close-ended deadlines (date and time) and commit yourself to do it by then.
Use a task list and calendar deadlines to plan commitments with due dates.
Have an accountability partner that will follow-up with you. Research shows we are less likely to break commitments we make to others than more general ones that we make for ourselves.
When you lead a meeting conclude it by asking who will do what, by when, and “How will we know?” Then most importantly – close the loop.

Finishing isn’t flashy, but it’s a leadership skill with a huge payoff. Years ago, I asked well known nursing leader Tim Porter O’Grady what advice he would have for young leaders to build career success. His answer was to “do what you say you will do when you say you will do it. It may seem simple but so few people do it that you will stand out.”

Read to Lead

Hurt, K. & Dye, D. (2016). Winning well: A manager’s guide to getting results without losing your soul. AMACON.

Read Rose Sherman’s new book available now – The Nurse Leader Coach: Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave