Ep 658 | The Hidden Cheat Code to Success

Thank you for joining me today. It's Brian Gubernick, and welcome to the No Days Off podcast, where we believe that every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. I recently came across this post on social media. I'm going to guess many of you came across it as well. I'm going to guess if you're listening to No Days Off, there's probably some similarity in our respective algorithms. And so, maybe this showed up on your Instagram page as well. But I'm gonna read it to you because I really loved it and I wanna build upon it today. The post said, "The cheat code that nobody talks about, being reliable. Answer emails quickly, show up on time, do what you said." Keep small promises, remember details. In a world where everyone is flaky, reliability looks like genius. It's not talent, it's just doing what you said you'd do when you said you'd do it. I really, really, really liked this idea around the reliability being a cheat code. I think this short paragraph says more about success than a lot of leadership books that are out on the market today. It's all about reliability. It's not glamorous, but it's, it's the hidden accelerator, I think. The hidden accelerator in business as well as in relationships and, and wealth and, and just life. I don't think any of us need more brilliance. I don't think we need more hacks. More creativity. Now, granted, I talk about all those subjects, but I don't know if we need it to the extent that we just need to be the person that others can count on. Because when, when people know that you're reliable, what happens? Well, trust grows and opportunities present themselves, and these things start to compound. So, what is reliability? Like, when you really think around that word, What does it really look like? I think we all kind of know what it means, but I want to drill down on this a little bit further. When you are reliable, when someone would describe you as reliable, what they probably mean is you respond to people. You do it, you do it quickly, you do it clearly, you do it consistently. In other words, they don't have to chase you. I think When you're reliable, you arrive when you say you will. In other words, you show up on time because that means that others are not wasting energy wondering where the heck you're at. I think you, you keep little promises, right? If you committed to that coffee meeting, if you said you'd make that follow-up call, if you said something like, I'll send that over this afternoon, you do it. You keep those little promises. You also remember details. Now, you may have different mechanisms for remembering details. Some of you, you might remember, it might be top of mind, you've got phenomenal memories. Others of you have systems for recalling details. But it's important from a reliability standpoint because it signals that people matter to you. And then lastly, I think when you consider, you think around someone that's reliable, A reliable person removes friction. In other words, working with you, if you're reliable, feels easy because there's no surprises. They just can count on you to get it done. Now, maybe a different way to look at this would say, okay, what makes— if that's what makes for a reliable person, what makes for an unreliable person? I think an unreliable person lets deadlines slip. People start to pad their expectations around you because these deadlines slip. I think unreliable individuals are always running behind, and better yet, there's always a reason. I think unreliable individuals, small commitments fall through the cracks. And then lastly, if you've dealt with someone who's unreliable, or frankly, maybe you've been unreliable yourself in the past, Odds are people were hedging their trust in you, or you've hedged your trust in others, because with an unreliable person, you can't predict what you're going to actually get. Reliability builds a brand of sorts, of sorts, but so does unreliability. When you're reliable, it makes people lean in, and when you're unreliable, it makes them avoid depending on you altogether. Now, why, you know, given all this, why would I say reliability is so powerful? Why is it the cheat code? Why is it the secret to success? I think it's all of those because, and this might sound crazy, the bar is pretty low. Like, in a world of distractions and excuses and this constant busyness, a lot of people frankly, just don't follow through. Now, I'm not trying to be a pessimist. I'm not trying to complain. I'm just saying, like, you know, I work with a lot of people. I deal with a lot of people. I'm sure you do too. And following through is just not as frequent or as common as you think it would be. The bar is pretty low. So, when someone actually does follow through, they stand out. They stand out. To clients, this signals professionalism. To your teammates, It lowers anxiety because they don't have to double-check on you. To leaders, it makes you promotable. Like, if you're reliable, that leader wants to bring you up in the organization because you take weight off their shoulders. And to friends and family, it shows respect. It shows love. Reliability is pretty rare, and rare is pretty valuable. You know, when I, when I go through this list, I think about a person who's relatively new in my organization, and she is insanely reliable. Like, every single thing we've ever talked about her executing thus far over the past, call it 6 months, she has executed, or she's put all of the effort or energy into her best performance. I'll tell you what, I want to create more opportunity for her because she's so dependable. I can always expect her to come through. Now, if you want to become known for your reliability, I think there's a couple things you could start doing. Number 1, just start small. In other words, keep one promise today. Prove to yourself that your word matters. I think number 2, if you want to become reliable or known for your reliability, use systems. Don't just rely on memory. Like, put your commitments down into calendars and reminders or whatever it may be. Number 3, communicate. Like, if you can't deliver on time, say so early, right? Reliability— I'm not, I'm not saying reliability is about perfection. It's not perfection. It's, it's more about honesty. Number 4, hold yourself to the standard. Like, show up on time, answer in a timely manner, do what you said, and do it every time. And then lastly, if you want to become known for reliability, just build a reputation. Over time, people will introduce you as the individual they could count on. That to me is the ultra— the ultimate compliment. So in business, reliability is leverage. A reliable peer or sales agent or manager or executive, again, they're just rare in today's world. Clients notice this, teams notice this. I don't think you have to be the smartest person in the room if you're the one that everyone could depend on. And in life, I think reliability is love in action. Like, your family doesn't need perfect words all the time. They need to know that you'll be there when they— when you said you would. They need to know you mean, you know, what you mean, like that you mean it when you commit. I think reliability is the quiet proof that you respect people's time and you respect their trust. So this week, as your action item, or in the coming days, I want you to pick an area where you've been unreliable. Maybe it's been in the way you've, you've responded to things late, or maybe it's been you letting deadlines slip, or maybe showing up a little late to meetings. Pick that area and fix it. Fix it right away. And then ask yourself, if people described me in one word, would reliable Be it. And if not, cool. This is an awareness exercise. If not, make it your mission to be called reliable. That's all I have for you today. The No Days Off Podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. So let's get after it.