There’s a lot of talk about trust – all around the world; in politics in particular, but also in business and society as a whole. We would argue that trust is quite a straightforward thing – without it we have nothing.
We may be able to manage without trust for a while, but over time lack of trust erodes engagement and joy at work. And working in a hybrid set-up puts additional demands on trust – it needs intentional focus to achieve it as trust is so much based on connection between people which is harder when not regularly face to face.
No legacy is as rich as honesty
William Shakespeare
Leaders that want to create long-term, sustainable results MUST be in the trust business.
They MUST earn your trust. They MUST be trustworthy. They MUST embody leadership you can trust.
And if you’re in the C-suite, you set the tone for the trust through the organisation – trust given and earned starts with you.
If people don’t trust us, we risk
- People going behind backs (ours and others)
- People not daring to speak up for fear of retribution
- People cutting corners
- People leaving (employee turnover)
If people trust us, we
- Invite honesty and differing viewpoints
- Secure support
- Build bonds that last
4 tips for how you, as a formal or informal leader, can build trust
- Be generous. Share what you know. Give feedback. Give credit where credit is due.
- Be genuinely interested in people. Make/take the time to talk with others and get to know them. Could you trust someone you didn’t know?
- Be consistent. Don’t keep people guessing. Be emotionally aware; manage your emotions and the impact they have on others.
- Keep your promises. Simple, but oh so effective. Do what you said you were going to do – or apologise and explain why and what will happen next if you couldn’t keep the promise.
We’re all in the trust business
Trust is the foundation for all great leadership and teamwork.
And in a world that changes faster and faster, trust will only get more and more important.
And we’re all in the trust business – every day, in everything we do.
