The basis of any relationship where an
instruction is given and an action is expected in return, is trust. Whether in management or in leadership, be it
in the office or at home, trust is the most important component of the
foundations upon which our lives and relationships are built. But where does trust come from and how do we
install it in others?
When two strangers pass one another, be it
in an office hallway or even on the street, it is customary to acknowledge one
another in some polite way. This simple
act puts us at our ease and allows us to relax and continue on our journey
comfortably in the belief that the other person will not harm us. This is the very basis of trust. Believing that another will not harm or let
us down. Trust is earned incrementally,
step by step, bit by bit.
Leaders can win confidence quicker
depending on the level of trust the people they lead had in the people that
appointed them in the first place.
However the team’s natural skepticism can only be overturned by the
leader acting in a way that installs a high degree of trust, not just through
their actions but also through their past and present results.
Because all succesful leaders have a very
high degree of confidence, they feel comfortable to delegate and to trust others
to deliver what was agreed. By
demonstrating their skills and quickly acknowledging the skills of others, sustainable
trust is progressively formed between the leader and their colleagues. But leaders have an additional burden when it
comes to trust. They have to win the
trust of all those that are under their guidance.
Weeding out your non believers.
There are always people that will distrust
you no matter how hard you try and demonstrate your worthiness. This should not concern you too deeply as
long as the doubters still believe in the vision, if not in you. In this case the doubters will more likely
than not come round in time. However, a
leader is not a leading if he or she allows non believers to straggle on
continuing to spread doubt after a reasonable time has passed.
Winning teams win because of their ability
to align to a common held belief and shared commitment. In this scenario, no one is bigger than a
team, not even the leader. Therefore
trust is one of the most powerful elements that a leader needs to install in
their team and this is only done by balancing all of the five elements over a
prolonged period of time:
- Intellectual Curiosity to inspire and inform
- Confidence to motivate pride, ego and self belief
- Adaptability to show there is a strategy and plan for all circumstances
- Pragmatism to demonstrate that the strategy can be implemented
- Emotional Intelligence in order to get the maximum performance by knowing how far
the leader can push and motivate the team and each of its individual before
their break points are reached
Have a good week,
Harley
