Doubt and skepticism seem commonplace lately. Stories questioning motives and agendas are unavoidable, and conspiracy theories abound. Getting to a space where we trust, blindly without critically questioning, is unrealistic and undesirable. However, having trust within the workplace is critical to employee engagement, retention, creativity, and productivity.
As a leader, being trusted and trusting your team members is critical to success. Trust is the basis upon which every other leadership principal rests. (Picture a tall building with a cracked foundation. The structure may look sound, but the building's safety is questionable.) Leaders must foster trust and maintain it with everyday actions. In today's remote and hybrid work environments, trust is more significant than ever.
Ways to build trust and keep the foundation strong:
Be transparent about the reasons for your actions
Follow through on commitments
Be OK with being wrong or not having the answer and be transparent about that
Display emotional intelligence – Key EI aspects related to trust are empathy, impulse control, interpersonal relationships, and emotional expression
Trust others – this means managing at the right level, delegating appropriately, giving latitude for decisions, and listening to the thoughts and ideas of others
“The ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust is the key professional and personal competency of our time” Stephen M.R. Covey.
What are you doing to promote and sustain trust in your leadership role?