Without trust, there is no leadership. Trust and respect of people is what separates a boss from a leader. Trust established by a sagacious leader manifests in the form of a motivated and productive workforce.
For a long-term, fruitful, and delightful association, it is important that employees believe in each other and in their leaders. That said, trust-building takes time and conscious effort. It is achieved through conscientious actions and not words.
Dos and don’ts for leaders wanting to establish an environment of trust:
Dos:
- Make sure employees and the company are on the same side of the table. Always.
- Establish a personal connection.
- Create positive relationships with and among the team.
- Trust others first if expecting them to be trustworthy.
- Resolve conflicts in healthy ways, avoid the blame game.
- Demonstrate expertise in judgment.
- Accept, acknowledge, and respect everyone’s contribution.
- Value the experience of each employee.
- Keep an alignment between thoughts, speech, and action.
- Practice transparency and honesty.
Don’ts
- Never play favorites.
- Never badmouth anyone.
- Never look down upon anyone.
- Never be in denial or defensive when given honest feedback.
- Never step back from a commitment.
- Never promise anything that you can’t fulfill.
Next in the series: Benefits of building trust in the workplace – V
