Writer: Rosette Wamambe. PHOTO/FILE
Last week, we started a series on consistency and established that consistency is a mindset we can all develop. This week, I want us to look at the compounding effect of consistency. We know that when it comes to investing, compound interest multiplies our investments at an accelerated rate.
Just like compound interest can be intensified at different frequencies like daily, weekly, monthly or annually, I believe that we can develop consistency for our professional and personal growth. My mentor John Maxwell correctly observes that “small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time”.
In his famous book, Atomic Habits, James Clear introduces us to the one percent rule. He states that “small consistent improvements make us one percent better every day and over time this leads to significant compounding results”.
When I explain to my clients the compounding effect of consistency, I like to use the story of Mary and Martha. Two friends who chose to be each other’s accountability partners as they shed some weight. Mary opted for daily short workouts while Martha said her schedule could only allow her to put in three days a week.
Both stuck with what they had promised to do. However, with time, Mary started to see better results before Martha, who sometimes said she did not have the time and would make it up. Although she would compensate with longer workouts, the results did not match those of Mary, who was consistent with her short but regular workouts.
Mary, so to speak, was able to reap from her consistent actions (Galatians 6:9). The compounding effect of consistency is a principle that applies in many leadership contexts. We can see it work when an organisation is trying to create sustained change and build a new culture, or to generate trust and credibility. Small actions done over a period allow others to notice the change, buy into it or appreciate it. This principle reminds me of the Chinese bamboo tree.
I am told that when a farmer plants a Chinese bamboo seed, for the first year, despite consistent watering, fertilising and care, there is no visible growth above the soil. This goes on until the fourth year. However, in the fifth year, suddenly the tree begins to emerge and can shoot up to 80 feet in six weeks. We know that in the years when nothing is visible at the top, the bamboo tree is developing an elaborate root system which eventually supports its rapid growth and enables it to withstand the storms of life.
In the same way, as leaders, the discipline we develop when no one is watching is what enables us to become effective leaders. It is these habits that allow us to build relationships or develop systems that help us withstand the storms of leadership.
I love how Brian Tracy, in his book No More Excuses: The Power of Self Discipline, talks about integrity and habit formation. He observes that, “Living with integrity means living your life and making choices in alignment with your values. Going for the easy option shows a lack of integrity.” As an ethics officer, I know too well that integrity calls for doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
When we consistently do what we promise ourselves that we will do even when no one is watching or taking record of our actions, we act with integrity. Like the farmer who tends to the Chinese bamboo tree, we need to trust that our actions will result in lasting fruit.
Similarly, we need to remember that the success we admire in others once started with a single step.
What appears to be sudden success is often a culmination of countless consistent actions. The compounding effect of consistency must remind us that our daily actions, even when they sometimes appear insignificant, especially when viewed in isolation, are what eventually bring about the transformation we crave as we keep reinforcing them over time.
Rosette is a Transformational Leadership coach with the Maxwell Leadership Team.
