Trust as Leadership Currency

The ability to inspire trust and confidence is perhaps one of the most critical attributes an organisational leader needs to have.

So how closely leadership behaviours match stated intentions is a very significant test of credibility that followers expect their leaders to pass.

However in the often messy and complicated relationships between people at different levels of any business ‘deficits of trust’ bedevil managerial effectiveness. Put simply if you don’t trust your boss then he/ she will never get the best out of you as an employee.

It would be instructive to gauge how much being trusted is valued by the organisational leaders of today. My guess is that many leaders never even contemplate the question and can be blind to the destructive impact of lack of trust in their organisations.

Communicating vision, inspiring action, securing commitment and developing talent are strategic tasks that require leaders to build high levels of trust in their direct reports and across the organisational management layers.

Organisational Leaders could benefit from considering the following -

1. Telling it plainly and truthfully works best in the long run

2. Relying on people enables you to build mutuality and develop talent

3. Understanding and tolerance are highly valued attributes in a leader

4. Setting organisational standards that reflect shared values and expectations are more likely to be adhered to

5. Testing out assumptions with followers promotes engagement and commitment.