Otherwise, it becomes one of those words that everyone agrees with, but no two people have a common definition for. For us, fairness means that the consequences of the performance are determined by the quantity and quality of the performance. This ties back to reasonable expectations. It depends on regular and usable feedback. Subordinates want to know how their supervisor will react in a given situation.
Consistency also relates to predictability in terms of performance.
Your people want to know how to predict your reaction in different situations. If they can't, they worry about whether or not to trust you. Leadership by example means that you uphold the values and principles that you say you and others stand for. It means that you, consistently, pay attention to the important things, consistently reward good performance, consistently see that rewards and punishments are meted out fairly. Maximum Control Possible People want to have a say about things that affect their life.