I learned early on that as a leader or manager, my team reacts to how I interact or don’t interact with them. No matter what is happening, I try to provide a consistent presence. I’ve been fortunate to work with a business coach, and early on he said to me, “Are you going to show up to work as a leader today?”

That resonated with me, and I took it to heart.

Each morning as I drive to work, I think about everything I need to do that day, realizing that there will be surprises. And no matter what my mood is, I think about how I’m going to show up for work. I can’t be ticked off one day and jovial the next – it’s confusing to my team.

I try to be as consistent as possible. Sometimes, though, when I have a large pile of work, I check in with my team and let them know I will be super focused but that I’m still available if they need me. I may not look up as often when they walk past my office, and I may not walk around as much. If I don’t let them know this, they may wonder what’s going on.

If I’m not feeling well – which, fortunately, is rare – I let them know in case I’m a bit grumpy.

I was reminded of it again when I overhead a colleague ask another colleague if she was annoyed at her. She wasn’t, but she was focused. Still, there was a perception problem.

How do you show up to work?