Consistency Magnifies Trust

Cathie Leimbach • September 6, 2022

“It’s the little things – done consistently – that make the biggest difference,” says David Horsager. “If I am overweight, it is because I have eaten too many calories over time, not because I ate too much yesterday. It is the same in business. The little things done consistently make for a higher level of trust and better results.”

Consistency is the critical driver for success. Being consistent means dedicating yourself to your goals and staying focused on the things and activities needed to achieve your goals. Consistency requires a long-term commitment from you and involves sustained effort in doing actions repeatedly until you achieve your goals. 

Discipline, accountability, and responsibility are all parts of staying consistent. Why is it so difficult to stay focused, to be disciplined, to hold ourselves accountable, and to exercise personal responsibility? 

One of the reasons is that the world around us and technology provide so many distractions that people don’t stay focused on their priorities. Another is that most people don’t have a focus because they haven’t been intentional about deciding what they want to do in life, what they want to accomplish. 

Let’s look at a few aspects of being consistent.

  1. Set Clear Goals – Determine the priorities in your life and define them in measurable ways. For example, if one of your priorities is to be a high performer at a job you love, you may set a goal for sales, client retention, average customer satisfaction, and/or your performance feedback rating. 
  2. Create a Plan to Achieve Your Goals – Write down all the things you need to do to achieve each goal. How much time will each take? How frequently do they have to be done? When will you do each of them. Create a schedule for each day, week, or month and enter all of the things you need to do to achieve success.
  3. Follow Your Plan – Now is the time to demonstrate consistency. Live in the present. Every day, week, and month, do the things on your schedule. Discipline yourself to follow the plan. Find an accountability partner who will check in with regularly to acknowledge your progress or get you back on track. Take responsibility when you fall behind due to your lack of follow-through.
  4. Review and Adjust – Evaluate the progress you are making towards your goal. If you haven’t been following it, what do you need to do to increase your consistency. If you are regularly implementing your plan but not making enough progress, what changes could improve your results? Revise your plan and consistently follow the new plan.  If you discover your goal is unrealistic, revise the goal and modify your plan.

When people see that you are clear on your priorities and consistently working towards achieving your goals, they will see you as trustworthy. Your track record of trust will be built over time; there is no other way to lasting success. Deliver the same quality of results every time and you will maintain trust.

What If Your Biggest Performance Problem Isn’t What You Think?

By Cathie Leimbach • May 5, 2026
What If Your Biggest Performance Problem Isn’t What You Think? When CEOs think about risk, they often focus on: Market shifts Operational issues Financial exposure But one of the biggest performance problems is far less visible: Low trust inside the organization. Nearly 30% of employees say they don’t receive clear, honest, or consistent communication from leadership. Over time, that creates doubt—about expectations, personal performance, and priorities. Employees begin to feel that their job is at risk because they aren’t getting any positive feedback. They question whether they have the tools, training, and support needed to do their jobs well. When they only hear about changes at work through the rumor mill, they feel information is being held back. And when that happens: Alignment drops Speed slows Assumptions increase Execution fractures “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” — Stephen R. Covey Trust isn’t soft. It’s a leading indicator of performance. When trust is strong: Decisions move faster Teams align quicker Change sticks When trust is weak: Everything takes longer Everything costs more And here’s the reality : Trust-building conversations are not a common leadership strength today. Yet leaders like Ken Blanchard, Stephen M.R. Covey, and David Horsager all point to the same conclusion—these are not optional skills. They are required for performance in today’s environment. Which means trust gaps are rarely about effort. They’re about conversation skills. A question to consider: Where might low-trust leadership behaviors—not lack of effort—be quietly slowing your organization down? Join Cathie Leimbach and a small group of leaders for a 45-minute Leadership Conversation – Workforce Challenges on Tuesday, May 12 at 3:00 PM ET. If trust is impacting speed, alignment , or execution in your organization, this conversation is for you. Register here Limited to a small group.

The Culture Problem Most Leaders Don’t See—Until It Shows Up in Results

By Cathie Leimbach • April 28, 2026
Most CEOs don’t wake up worrying about culture. They’re focused on growth, margins, execution. But culture quietly determines all three. Because when people feel disconnected, something subtle happens: Execution slows Ownership drops Problems surface later—and cost more Nearly a third of employees describe their workplace as isolated or impersonal. That’s not just a morale issue. That’s an execution risk . And employees don’t “love” a company because of perks. They stay committed when they feel valued. When that’s missing: Effort becomes transactional Communication becomes minimal Discretionary effort disappears The data is clear—when employees feel valued: Attendance improves Conflict decreases Productivity rises This is where many organizations misfire. They try to fix culture with initiatives. But culture is shaped in daily leadership interactions —not programs. And most leaders haven’t been trained to have regular meaningful conversations. They have been promoted to people leadership positions yet not prepared for their new roles. When untrained leaders don’t get topnotch results, it’s not due to a gap in effort or potential. It’s due to a current gap in ability. What can you do about it? Where might your workplace culture be quietly affecting execution—even if performance still “looks okay”? 👉 Join our next 45-minute Leadership Conversation— Workforce Challenges . We’ll explore how culture impacts performance—and what leaders can actually do about it.