Keeping Your Word
Staying true to your word is extraordinarily important, and many people don’t do it or they try to fake it. Those people lose credibility and leave you, the competitor, in the driver’s seat. No matter how tough of a businessperson you appear to be, how many people you fire, or how many people want your customers, one thing is for sure: if you always speak clearly and honestly, you will gain respect in your industry over time from coworkers, customers, competitors, and vendors.
Personal credibility is essential if you aspire to be a true leader. Tell it like it is, unless it’s proprietary—in which case, don’t say a thing. This way, over time, you will have access to the people and the deals you will need to be successful.
Leave storytelling to Hollywood and leave business to the businesspeople. If someone is going to work twelve hours a day on a real career, living in a fantasy world, making up stories, or not following up on promises will be of no benefit to them. That is only a way to bankruptcy.
