Leadership is Trust

Today, we will discuss trust as it pertains to leadership.

Leadership trust is a critical characteristic that provides a foundation for influential leadership.  Why would team members work with any leader without trust?  Well, team members need to know they can trust their leaders to guide them towards success.  Leaders can start by establishing honesty and active listening.  Once leaders establish honesty with team members, they can rely on character and integrity, two characteristics mentioned in earlier blogs.  Other characteristics leaders can focus on include credibility, accountability, supportiveness, clarity, competence, and empathy. 

This is not by any means all-inclusive, but it does provide a very strong core set to focus on gaining, building, and maintaining trust with team members.  Leaders can serve to build relationships, helping to establish team member trust.  Why is serving important to building trust? It comes down to the leader’s intent.  If team members identify that the leader intends to establish a strong relationship, trust becomes an outcome.

I have found that daily communications with team members on topics they enjoy can also help establish trust.  How did I perform daily communications?  Primarily, I would opt for simple good morning visits and just ask about team members’ interests and what the plans were for the upcoming weekend.  I leveraged messenger tools and email as well.  I found that investing in their interests helped me as a leader establish a trust bond. 

Leaders will find that trust can be a two-way street as well when looking to deliver successful outcomes geared toward organizational vision.  Leaders will find various techniques when building trust with the characteristics to continually build up established trust, but they must first focus on establishing the foundation with team members. Thoughts?

Thanks.

I am Mike with BLeadersEdge. Don’t forget to follow our page at bleadersedge.com and share comments to further the leadership discipline discussion.

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Leadership is Appreciation

Leadership is appreciation as leaders share sincere gratitude for team accomplishments.  A leader that can say in an open manner, “I appreciate you and your efforts” to a team member can gain gratitude and a foundation that will lead to respect.  Leadership appreciation is a tough step to deliver for some leaders as pride may enter and these leaders may take recognition for the team’s accomplishments. 

Why is there a difference when a leader grants appreciation versus taking credit?  A great leader will ensure that team accomplishments are celebrated by those that delivered in today’s globally competitive times.  A great leader will show appreciation to those that go above and beyond to reach the organization’s vision. 

Should leaders focus on providing appreciation in a one-on-one situation? I like to show appreciation in team meetings consistently to gain traction and support from the team.  Teams find that appreciation in a public environment carries a different level of acknowledgement than a one-on-one.  Leaders that have the common “I appreciate you all” do not gain as much team synergy.  A leader that understands the moments that matter at various stages of execution will identify those that deserve appreciation when the challenges confront the team’s objectives.  Thoughts?  Thanks.

Mike

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Leadership is Authenticity

Leadership authenticity starts with self-awareness.  Why start with self-awareness?  Well, let me share my experience.  As I experienced personal challenges when I shattered my spine, I focused on my inner being and self-developed my leadership skills.  A leader should look within to identify strengths and weaknesses and harness great passion to build the foundation for authenticity. 

What are other characteristics a leader might consider focusing on, such as authenticity?  Well, an authentic leader is selfless and focuses on the organization’s vision and goals.  An authentic leader must be able to inspire and motivate from within before inspiring and motivating others.  The leader should build the internal characteristics, such as honesty, integrity, and moral fortitude, to increase leadership authenticity. 

Once a leader hones these traits, as well as others, to become authentic, (s)he can move towards providing stronger leadership for others.  Being an authentic leader will help team members build trust and support to help deliver organizational success.  Thoughts?  Thanks.

Mike

#bleadersedge #leadershipauthenticity #self-develop #self-awareness #authenticleader #organizationalsuccess #authenticity