People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.  -Maya Angelou

One of the keys to effective leadership is being consistent.  The experiences we create for other people – our responses to the events in our lives – create experiences for other people.  It isn’t so much what people here from us that shapes feelings – it is how people experience us.

We earn trust when we are consistent in the experiences we create for others.  I want people to experience me – as a leader, as an educator, and as a friend – in a consistent manner.  It isn’t what I say . . . it is my actions.  It is this consistency of action that creates the feeling of trust.

You are in control.  You get to decide.  Do you want to be consistent and disciplined in your interactions with others?  Do you want people to experience you in a specific way?  If so, make the choice to meet your own expectations.  If you don’t have higher standards for yourself, than others have for you, you will consistently perform below your potential.