Trust Isn’t Given, It’s Earned: Why Leaders Can’t Just Expect Trust
Every successful leader knows trust is the secret ingredient to greatness. Without people behind you, every move is an uphill battle, but when you have a team who trusts in you and your vision, they will help you move mountains to achieve it.
As with any relationship, building that kind of deep-seated trust takes time and effort. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to show your team through your everyday actions that you’re someone who deserves their full confidence, so knowing how to not only build trust but keep it with your team is essential.
10 Ways to Earn Trust as a Leader
Trust between staff and leadership is paramount to everything your organization does. If your staff feels they cannot trust the people in charge of them, communications can break down, motivation can fade and productivity can suffer. That’s why it’s so important for leaders to engage in trust-building behaviors from the start.
1. Be as Transparent as Possible
One of the fastest ways you can establish trust is by showing your team you trust them. As a leader, you’ll be privy to a lot of information no one may think to share with your team. While there is some information you’ll likely have to keep to yourself, try to be as open as you can with information so everyone can stay informed. By doing this from the start of your working relationship, you show you are someone employees can rely on to deliver important and timely information when it matters most.
2. Polish Your Active Listening Skills
As a leader, the ability to actively listen is crucial, whether you’re interacting with other staff or the clients themselves. Try to do more than simply listening to respond—take the time to actually understand what they’re saying, both in words and body language. Then, consider your response before giving it.
3. Prove Your Competence
While some people may assume competence given your role, others will be watching you closely to ensure you live up to expectations. Think of it this way: If you show you don’t know your job, why should any of your staff attempt to learn their own? Plus, how can they trust you to guide them in their own roles if they don’t believe you to be a competent leader?
4. Be Reliable for Your Team…
Being reliable and available for the people who count on you is a physical way of establishing your trustworthy nature. Though no one expects you to be available at all times, make an effort to respond to your team’s attempts to connect with you as soon as possible.
5. …And Let Them Return the Favor
Being vulnerable is a challenge for almost everyone, but it is yet another way you can show your people you trust them. Whether it’s owning up to a mistake or sharing the obstacles you face in your role, opening up to your employees can deepen your relationship exceptionally fast.
6. Embrace Empathy
As humans, we all have our moments, from getting stuck in traffic to making an error on paperwork. These things happen to everyone, and however you react, your staff will remember. Showing grace and understanding encourages your staff to trust you and open up when things like this affect their workflow.
7. Communicate Regularly
When you keep open communication channels, your staff knows they can come to you at any time. Make sure you also put in the effort to send people reminders, invitations and even jokes or memes to encourage more chats in the future.
8. Recognize Your Employees Often
Employee of the Month and MVP awards are great ways to recognize the effort your people put into the job and motivate them with something to reach for. This recognition also makes them feel appreciated, which in turn can raise their opinion of you.
9. Admit Mistakes and Accept Feedback
Leaders who make mistakes can still be good leaders—it’s all about how they respond and move forward. Take accountability for your actions as soon as you realize your error and be open to receiving feedback from those affected about how you can improve next time.
10. Be Committed to Leadership Improvement
Finally, the best thing any leader can do for the people who rely on them is to keep trying. There are an infinite amount of resources that help individuals become better leaders, so remain committed to finding and utilizing these resources to grow your ability to lead effectively.
Learn More Trust-Building Tips With The Center for Leadership Studies
There is no timeline or perfect recipe—the best way for leaders to build trust is to earn it over time. Just as every relationship is different, so is each team member’s willingness to trust you. Regardless of your needs, our team at The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) has strategies to assist you in establishing mutually beneficial and respectful working partnerships in our Building Trust course.
Learn more about this core principle of good leadership by visiting our course page and signing up for your chance to engage with others like you looking to lead with trust. You can also connect with us directly to find your path to enhanced leadership potential.