Why We Trust A Leader

Trust is at the very foundation of leadership. For anyone in a leadership role for more than a minute, you recognize that your primary job is to get others to want to do what you want/need them to do. This idea of moving people toward a stronger sense of internal motivation can be perplexing when you are in the thick of trying to get stuff done. However, it really isn’t that complicated. Several factors create trust and lead to an internal drive toward performance.

DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE: The first of those is taking the time to really know the people working for you. We are a diverse and beautiful mosaic of humanity and each of our unique characteristics matters. As leaders, we should take the time to learn who the people are that get the work done. What is their background? What are their aspirations? What are their fears? Think of getting to know your people in the same way you would create a psychological profile of the perfect customer. You take the time to learn who a person is that would want to buy from you. Why not take the time to learn who a person is that would want to work for you?

TIME INVESTED: The second aspect of building trust is time. One of the reasons turnover spiked coming out of the pandemic is that we simply didn’t and couldn’t spend time together as a team. You have to do things with your people. Time can be spent building your people up and encouraging them. It can be spent coaching them. It can be spent simply working side by side with them. No matter what, you have to spend quality time with your people making them better.

INTENTION EXPRESSED: The third aspect of building trust is demonstrating a positive intention towards and for your people. If your people experience you investing in their future, building them up, and focusing on their success, they tear down their walls of self-protection and are more likely to go all-in. When they know you are watching out for them, they have the emotional energy and drive to watch out for you.

These three things are the foundation of what a great leader does to build trust. I see so many leaders demonstrate a desire for their own success but so few demonstrate a desire for the success of their team that it is disheartening. Being a leader is a tremendous responsibility. It isn’t about “finally arriving.” It is about others believing you can help the team grow and expand. It is their arrival that is your focus if you are going to achieve greatness. Shifting towards this external mindset makes all the difference in the world.