Leadership, It’s All About Trust
By Wes Pruett, Presenter at GMA SHRM Summit on July 22, 2008.
Leadership, elusive and complex, yet we all know it when we see it and we especially know it when it is absent. Becoming a good leader is achievable but may take an entire career. As leadership skills increase, good leaders come to realize that the job is never fully complete. The good news is that leadership is comprised of distinct parts and each of these parts can be learned. There is ample and convincing evidence that we are not born as leaders but each of us has the capacity to develop and grow our leadership skills.
If there is one characteristic that is absolutely essential to great leadership, it is trust. Now, most, if not all of us would describe ourselves as trustworthy. But when we think of those we work with, often they fall short of the mark. Quite frankly many of us would rate ourselves higher on the trustworthy scale than others would. Why is that?
Part of the issue is the emotional value we place on the word trust. If I said I didn’t trust you, there is a good chance you would be offended. That is because you equate the word with fundamental moral values like cheating, lying, stealing, or an intentional desire to do harm. These are not the issues we usually deal with in the workplace.
The more common issue is reliability. That is, can you be relied on or trusted to do what you say you will do? Reliability and dependability are often what employees are referring to when they say there is a trust issue. We may perceive ourselves as being trustworthy but most of us could be more reliable, dependable, and timely. A leader with low trust ratings may not have a moral problem but there is a good chance they will lack credibility. Reduced credibility will lead to a myriad of problems not only with your personal image but also with the effectiveness of business relationships. One cannot lead effectively without the mutual belief that people will meet their commitments.
How many times have you said, “I’ll get right back to you.” or “I’ll have that on your desk by Monday.” or the message on your phone says, “Leave a message and I will return your call.” And do you follow through with these commitments one hundred percent of the time? Most of us don’t. We may intend to but busy work lives have intervening factors. The problem is that the people we make the commitment to may not know or care about our overloaded lives.
The reality is that people tend to keep score on each other rather like a bank account. We make deposits when we meet our commitments and withdrawals when we don’t. The size of deposits and withdrawals vary too. We can score big points when we not only do what we say we will do but also when we put our colleague’s interests ahead of our own. On the other hand, some withdrawals can critically and irreparably damage relationships. If a coworker believes that you willfully acted to harm them or betrayed a confidence, your trust bank account may become overdrawn and the relationship may go into bankruptcy. Leaders cannot afford to let this happen.
Here are ten key points to remember that will help you build and maintain trust.
1. Do what you say you will do. If you make a commitment keep it.
2. If you can’t keep a commitment, let the other person know what happened and why, then fulfill it as soon as possible.
3. Volunteer regular updates so that people know that you haven’t forgotten about a commitment. If someone asks you for an update it may be a sign that you waited too long to communicate.
4. Regularly ask for feedback and ask coworkers and direct reports how you are doing. Better yet, implement a 360-degree feedback system.
5. If you are a manager, remember that you are held to a higher standard than your direct reports. Your job is to set the bar, so never expect others to be more reliable than you.
6. If you are disorganized, sometimes late, or tend to forget things, chances are there are reliability (trust) issues. Get some help to build systems to improve.
7. You have to trust to be trusted. It involves risk but you cannot expect others to trust you if you don’t reach out and trust them first.
8. Be aware of an inclination to tell people what they want to hear just to avoid conflict. These are commitments that are easy to forget. People prefer the truth even if they don’t like the message.
9. Under promise and over deliver. The old service maxim applies to trust too. Think of your co-workers and direct reports as customers and your leadership will improve.
10. Good intentions don’t matter. We all intend to do what we say but ultimately it’s what we do that counts.
None of us will be perfect in our reliability score but with a little effort we can be better. The payoff can be huge. High levels of trust will improve your image and credibility. People will see you as someone who gets things done and direct reports will be more likely to come to you with issues and concerns rather than find ways to work around you. A trusting work environment paves the way to increased productivity and a higher probability of fulfilling your organization’s mission. Trust is really as simple as doing what you say you will do.
Best of success on your leadership journey.
Thanks to, Leadership Challenge 4 th Edition by James Kouzes and Barry Posner for some material and concepts. |
