Trust or Bust
Fools leave trust-building to chance.
Trust impacts response. People protect themselves from untrustworthy leaders.
Untrustworthy leaders are perceived as self-serving.
Power of trust:
Employees in high-trust environments report:
- 40% less burnout.
- 66% more closeness with colleagues.
- 50% higher productivity.
- 13% fewer sick days.
- 106% more energy at work.
- 70% more alignment with the company’s purpose.
- 17% higher compensation than their peers in low-trust companies.
- 29% more satisfaction with their lives.
(From, “The Trifecta of Trust.”)
Build trust by answering 3 powerful questions:
#1. What are your motives?
How convinced are people that you serve their best interests?
Self-serving leaders are viewed as the enemy. Team members don’t give their best to untrustworthy leaders.
Do you have a generous heart?
Get out of leadership if you don’t care about people.
We trust people who care about our wellbeing.
#2. How transparent is your communication?
Tell people where you’re going and why. Be honest about the current situation. Communicate vision so people can focus their energy on what matters most.
“Only 18% of employees strongly agree that their leaders help them see how changes made today will affect their organization.” (Gallup)
#3. What is your expertise?
Don’t trust an expert dentist to fix your car.
You earned a leadership position because you were good at something else.
You got promoted to leadership because you delivered results. But successful leaders empower others to deliver results.
Trustworthy leaders are perceived as being experts at leading. An expert widget builder isn’t qualified to lead a team.
How are you developing expertise in leadership?
You build trust by:
- Serving the best interest of others.
- Communicating transparently.
- Becoming an expert leader.
Read, “How to B.U.I.L.D. T.R.U.S.T,” for more on Leadershipfreak.
What additional questions would elevate trustworthiness?
What do you consider essential for fostering trust in leadership?
John Spence is one of the top business and leadership experts in the world. Here are his thoughts on, The Vagrant: The Inner Journey of Leadership.
Vagrant (1 minute and 7 seconds)
