I used to hear the phrase, "manage expectations" quite frequently, and in fact I used it myself at various times while challenging people within my area of leadership. It was a challenge I was comfortable giving, and receiving. Then one morning I woke up and discovered someone had modified the rules and it was no longer good enough to just manage expectations, the new rule was to “exceed expectations.” I’m sure the majority of us have adapted to that change in expectation rather easily, but we probably apply the new mantra to victories much more than problems.

So, for the last several days I’ve reflected on how leaders can exceed expectations along the journey, even when problems come up, or less than positive news needs to be delivered. Here are some important things I’ve determined:

• Take steps rather than jumps
• Problems are part of the journey
• The goal is still the goal

Like it or not, being a leader is more about the followers than the leader. Therefore, whether I’m leading employees, clients or volunteers I try to take steps rather than jumps; steps make following easier. Stepping also means that problems get acknowledged and addressed rather than ignored as could be the case when jumping. Addressing problems is a part of exceeding expectations.

Part of a leader’s role is to chart the course, and not only that but to acknowledge the mile markers along the way. This helps everyone chart progress, celebrate milestones, and in some cases address problems. Let’s face it, problems are part of the journey and as such they should be acknowledged as mile markers whenever they're crossed. To bypass this type of a mile marker could later cause the problem to be perceived as larger than it actually is. But when we treat them as the significant mile markers they are then we address them as they’re crossed, keep them in proper perspective, and even learn from them.

The leader’s ultimate goal is to accomplish the objective and reach the destination. After all, in spite of problems the goal is still the goal, and a strong leader doesn’t allow the journey to be thrown off course by problems along the way. Good leaders, like good navigators know how to plan the journey, acknowledge the mile markers, respond to problems, and make mid-course corrections; But they never, ever lose sight of the goal. Great leaders exceed expectations by leading through the problems and arriving successfully at the destination.