Part 12 in a series on professionalism.

Criteria 12: Appropriate, consistent behavior. Knows the limits, and sets those boundaries. Is mindful of temper and behavior.

When I was in elementary school, excellence was acknowledged with a gold star. When you received two, three or ten gold stars, you knew you were performing consistently well.

What if we could give gold stars in the workplace for best behavior? Consistently good behavior? Would that small visual symbol change the way we see ourselves as an employee, contributor or leader?

High potential employees who are being groomed for senior management positions are chosen because they practice appropriate, consistent behavior. The higher up in the organization you go, the greater the responsibility for managing and motivating others. You can’t be irrational or erratic like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Those are the people who are in a good mood one moment and in a foul mood the next. You never know who you are going to encounter, Jekyll or Hyde. This type of behavior from a senior manager impacts performance and morale. That’s why companies look for people who know how to set boundaries and are consistent in their behavior.

No matter where you go or what you do, people are watching you, silently observing how you lead a meeting, interact with others, motivate your work team or handle a crisis. They also observe you online through social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Are your comments or content helpful to others (posting a link to an article on leadership) or repetitive rants and emotional outbursts on any given topic? Rather than being called a hothead, whiner, control freak or immature baby, wouldn’t you prefer being described as a team player, bridge builder, innovator or class act? It’s up to you.

The gold star equation is quite simple:

Appropriate + consistent behavior = career advancement.