Aaron Huizenga on leadership standards

April 12, 2026 By Aaron Huizenga 0 Comments

Set the expectation, then hold everyone to it.

If your vision for a job is three boxes on the second shelf with all the labels facing the same direction, then that is exactly what you need to convey.

Instruct, then verify.

This shows everyone the bar to which you will hold them. The standard has been set and verification is to follow.

On a personal note, I enjoy a very clean truck. I take it through a car wash three to four times a week. I clean out any trash daily and wash the floor mats when they are dirty. When staff get into my truck, they are amazed at how clean everything appears. I share this because this is the bar that I expect and measure every other fleet vehicle against. Silly, I know, but it is something that sets a standard. If I do not do it personally, then how can I require anyone else to do it?

If you are going to set a standard for others, then you better darn well be ready to hold yourself to that standard.

As leaders, we give lots of directions and set lots of expectations. What good are those conversations if we don’t come back and follow up on them? Classic failure as a leader.

To avoid this pitfall, utilize a calendar to verify that a job was done or a task completed. There are hundreds of reminders in my calendar to “check in” on and “is this done?” that pop up regularly. It is an easy way to remember to pick up the phone or make a trip to verify.

You showed, you explained, you led, then you verified that the work got done.

It isn’t micromanaging; it is accountability.

You fulfilled your role, and now you are closing the loop to ensure it’s closed.

Your team will know that once you set a standard, anything short of that is considered an incomplete job.

Don’t get me wrong; it can be a lot of work to get started, but in time, it will become a very powerful practice.

Let’s work on your upgrade!

Aaron Huizenga is East Division manager for Lakes Gas in Wisconsin. Reach him at ahuizenga@lakesgas.com.

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