Trust is the Key to Effective Leadership

One of the most foundational qualities a manager must have is trust. Trust in their team and their team’s trust in them as a manager. Without trust, team members spend unproductive time second guessing motives in a highly political and toxic environment. Executive leaders must monitor the behavior of middle management and go beyond what they’re being told by direct reports in order to uncover the underlying issues driving the dysfunctional corporate culture.

8 Pillars of Trust

According to David Horsager, author of The Trust Edge, “trust is quantifiable and brings dramatic results to businesses and leaders.” He covers 8 pillars of trust:

• Clarity
• Compassion
• Character
• Competency
• Commitment
• Connection
• Contribution
• Consistency

Trust is a competitive advantage in today’s workplace since every aspect of business becomes more profitable. According to SAM Advanced Management Journal, 2008, “The link between employees’ trust in leadership and firm performance is quite clear; as trust increases, firm performance rises.”

Case Study:

A new manager is hired to lead an existing team. He is new to the organization and is thrown into a highly political environment. His first six months are spent getting to know the various silos and players involved. After gaining trust of those he manages, he manipulates the situation by selectively communicating information to his team that furthers his status and position in the company while downplaying or omitting any mention of subordinate team members’ contributions. The priorities he sets for the team members support what he needs to further his professional development.

The above example is one of many ways that today’s managers violate multiple pillars needed to build trust in an organization. Team members are dependent on their manager for their career development and when the very basic value of trust is absent, an unhealthy and toxic environment develops.

How to Rebuild Trust in a Broken Corporate Culture

To rebuild trust in a corporate environment, drastic measures are required. If existing leadership refuses to acknowledge the situation, leadership changes are needed. It needs to be clear that the middle managers who blindly followed the ineffective leader are now accountable for leading according to the new pillars required to rebuild trust.

Follow David Horsager’s Ten Step Process for Instituting Lasting Change which incorporate each of the 8 pillars mentioned above:

• Build a unified and trusted spearhead team. (Connection, Character, and Commitment)
• Establish a clear and pressing need for change. (Clarity)
• Formulate a clear and unifying vision. (Clarity)
• Build a specific and actionable strategy. (Clarify and Consistency)
• Enable and equip all shareholders to implement change. (Competency)
• Act on strategy daily. (Contribution)
• Share the vision often. (Clarity and Consistency)
• Celebrate and recognize improvement, big and small. (Compassion)
• Deepen change by systemizing processes and offering ongoing training. (Competency)
• Review progress, ensure ongoing integrity, and assess need for future change. (Commitment and Character)

Develop Trustworthy Leaders

The Bob Pike Group has helped 95% of Fortune 100 companies with measurable training and performance solutions. There are several training options to choose from:

1. Public Workshops – Individual managers can sign-up for the Coaching for Success, August 23-24 workshop in Minneapolis. Rich Meiss has over 30 years of experience coaching managers.
2. Onsite –The Bob Pike Group will come to your company and coach your team of managers. It’s a great way to build teamwork and set clear expectations for your company’s mission and values.
3. Design Consulting – The Bob Pike Group will work with you to customize an Onsite Workshop for your team. This includes high level strategy and facilitation across functional areas to ensure corporate training objectives are defined and carried through. Team members are assessed afterwards to ensure information is retained and applied.

Register now for the Coaching for Success Workshop August 23-24 in Minneapolis.