Why Trust Matters

Early on in our discussions on Leadership, we encourage decision makers we support to acknowledge a fundamental assumption of MRA that ‘there is ALWAYS more that we (all humans) cannot see, than we can see’ (Leaders, Accept You Might Be Wrong).

As a result, we encourage leaders to seek out diverse, critical thought that allows us to ‘see more’ than we would otherwise.  It is our belief that ‘seeing more’ enables leaders to gather new information, recognize new circumstances, and receive better intelligence BEFORE making the decision.  As a result, we will increase the likelihood of revealing the exact information needed to support ‘changing our minds’ (if needed) before the decision is made, to make the best decision possible.

Trust: The Foundation for Effective Leadership

Whenever I intentionally seek out a perspective that is not my own, the new perspective I receive will automatically pose a challenge to my existing beliefs. However, this is an opportunity to ‘see’ beyond my own view of the current problem and to gain additional clarity and insight. Allowing myself to consider what I ‘don’t know’ results in a deeper understanding, and in my role as a leader, results in the organization achieving its desired outcomes in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.

As a decision maker, actively seeking out a perspective that is not my own in order to see the problem with greater clarity requires me to believe in what is being shared. Remember – NO leader can ‘see it all’. If I am going to allow my decisions to be influenced by insight and thinking that has been shared with me and that I did not originally see myself, I must, by definition, be able to trust those in my organization.

Oxford defines the verb trust as: believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.

Building Trust Through Actions and Interactions

I often ask leaders, ‘How long does it take to break trust?’, to which they reply with a quick snap of their fingers. When I follow up with ‘How long does it take to build trust?’, the typical response is that it takes a very long time. Not necessarily.  In our experience, trust is built over many interactions (that could take a long time, but more than likely occur within a short period of time inside an organization).  This is why we encourage leaders to understand that the ‘weight of leadership’ includes the understanding that every interaction I have with a member of my team is an opportunity to build trust or break it.  And this truth extends to every interaction inside an organization, from leader to team, teammate to teammate, and beyond.

Every interaction in an organization is an opportunity to build trust or break it.

In the research outlined in the book The Four Factors of Trust, Deloitte identified the following components that enable trust to be built:

• Humanity: Demonstrating genuine care and empathy towards stakeholders.
• Capability: Showing competence and the ability to deliver on promises.
• Transparency: Being open and honest in communications and actions.
• Reliability: Consistently meeting expectations and being dependable.

As leaders, you can cultivate trust through caring for both your team and your client (humanity), being intentionally open, honest, and direct (transparency), and possessing the integrity and professionalism to deliver (capability) consistently (reliability) on what you say and intend to do.  These actions are foundational for building trust – not only with your clients but within your organization at every level and in every interaction, creating alignment in what you do and where you want to go, together!

And THAT is an organization I believe we all want to be a part of!