The connection between being result oriented and hard work is inseparable. But the connect between being successful and burnt out of stress is visible yet ignored. I have known CEOs who work very hard yet never appear stressed. Apart from liking what you do, there is a strong link of how controlled you are on emotions. People who are emotionally connected to what they do is exactly how it shows up in how dependable they become.

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So how do we define being dependable and why it is a very crucial skill to acquire for anyone who thinks of growth in life. The simple definition of dependable is “If you are asked for something doable, you commit to it and then show up exactly for the same results.”

Sounds one of those age old adage 'Easier said than done? Ironically, the path of being dependable and delivering the best is paved with fame and glory. It also has gravels of pitfalls and downfalls. 

Coping with high pressure: When people start recognising you as someone who sticks to one’s words, they keep coming back to you. You will be flooded with requests of help from colleagues and family. Sometimes total strangers walk up to you seeking favours. All of this requires total involvement, persuasion and focused efforts. A hidden aspect of all this is sapped energy and drained out person. 

How to do it better: Do not take a bigger bone than you can chew. Everyone has a limit and it is alright to say “No” to someone if you are just not able to stretch. My word of caution here is, do not over-commit and then run for cover. That’s a one-way ticket to the guilt island. 

Single focused versus people focused: The more you are determined to do a task with total focus and on time, the more upsetting you will be as a person to others. People belittle task masters maybe, but they actually bring on obstacles to a person who is impatient, bossy or dominating. Being result oriented would always mean taking other people into the fold and make them work. It is likely that the other person has a different mindset and has a different set of priorities. Perspectives are highly debatable when it comes to being core focused on a single goal. Don’t we all have way too many meetings at our office, which sees less solutions and more boomerangs. 

How to do it better: People are valued for results surely, but in that process if one is ruffling too many feathers, that is unwarranted. Talk to people clearly. Set clear timelines and yet understand that your urgency may not match their sense of urgency. That may not be the resistance, but sometimes a plain lack of perspectives. Set milestones of work to be done and remember that you cannot make everyone happy unless you are doling out free ice-creams. 

Approachability versus being uptight: In their book, 'Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action', Robert Sutton and Jeffery Pfeffer cite example of Mary McLeod, who was appointed as HR chief in Pfizer in 2007 when the company was going through a transformational change. McLeod was a no-nonsense person who made the mistake of being unapproachable. In 2010, she was out of the organisation because of her 360-degree feedback gave her mostly 1 point instead 4 or 5. Ironically, her boss always thought her as an efficient person. 

What went wrong was that the understanding as people are an asset and needs to be tended that way. 

How to handle it better: A disciplined and efficient manager is a dream come true, but an extraterritorial and unreachable boss is a nightmare. 

The road is thin ice here and one needs to tread cautiously so not to upset the applecart, but to move it slowly and steadily in the right direction. As Aristotle said, “The true test of a mind is the ability to hold opposite thoughts and yet to function dramatically astonishing.”

The writer is strategic advisor and premium educator with Harvard Business Publishing