How to Build Trust as a Leader
I have seen firsthand what happens in a company when senior-most leaders lead with consistency, transparent communication, and make their teams feel like their views matter. These actions create healthy cultures with motivated and inspired employees.
I have also seen the converse:
Inconsistent leadership where employees have no way to know what behaviors they can expect at the top.
Lack of transparency for what their leaders are spending their time on, which impedes trust and breeds skepticism.
Leaders who show their frustration and impatience when team members don’t perform at their best. It’s even worse when a leader calls someone out for this in front of their other colleagues.
How many people do you know who look forward to coming to work with leadership like this?
Follow the adage ‘treat others as you would want to be treated’ and you’ll have people eager to follow you wherever you lead.
I read an article How to Build Trust as a Leader, published by Forbes, which discusses the same concepts.
“How important is trust in the workplace? Take a look back at times when you didn’t trust those you worked for. It happens to many of us at some point in our careers. I’ll bet your levels of performance and productivity were low and that you felt out of sync with your work, your team, and your leader. Being able to trust your leader and their vision can have a huge impact on how you perform and how you produce, and it can determine whether you go the extra mile for the business’s bottom line.
A lack of trust often erodes teams and organizations to the point where people feel that their working environment has become toxic. The results of a toxic work environment — including unnecessary drama, fighting among employees, lack of communication and no clear protocol — can stifle productivity and results.”