Progress isn’t built on ideas alone—it’s forged through action.
To move forward in any capacity, businesses have to tap into the power of the collective and harness the individual efforts of every member of their team.
Getting their team moving—and keep them moving—in the right direction, however, can be challenging to say the least.
But with the right amount of trust, leaders can inspire movement in their team that’ll bridge the gap between ideation and execution.
How Trust Converts Ideas into Action
Think of your team as an orchestra.
Each member of your team is a musician with a unique role to play. But the only way for them to create a harmonious performance is if you, as their conductor, set the pace, correct missteps and keep things running smoothly.
Ultimately, it’s their trust in you as their leader that enables your team to take direction and turn it
into action. That’s because trust:
1. Builds Psychological Safety
Trustworthy leaders generate a sense of safety. When employees feel safe, it reduces their fear of failure, which makes them less afraid to try new things. Without fear of judgement or punishment for mistakes, teams feel emboldened to think outside of the box, take calculated risks and develop a more proactive approach to their role.
And, should issues arise along the way, team members who trust their leader will support them through their challenges show themselves to be more resilient. They demonstrate a clear ability and willingness to work through setbacks to keep the project moving forward.
2. Encourages Open Communication
A trust-fueled work environment is one that promotes transparent communication—not just for employees but for leaders, too. With the freedom to openly and honestly communicate comes the opportunity to inspire.
Leaders who communicate their vision for a project early on give their teams a chance to embrace it as their own. A team member’s knowledge and understanding of the project can build their enthusiasm and place them in a much better position to execute their leader’s plan and transform their vision into a reality.
3. Creates Alignment
Team members are more driven to act when they trust their leader’s intentions and understand the reasoning behind their proposed actions.
In unifying teams around a shared purpose, trust transforms belief in a project into When a team member “buys into” a project and recognizes the meaningful role they can play in its success, they’ll become far more motivated to invest in bringing the project to life.
4. Strengthens Collaboration
It’s important for leaders to build trust with individual team members and among the team as a whole. Teams that trust one another are
more inclined to work together, drawing on each other’s expertise and support to produce high-quality work that accomplishes their shared goals.
Not only that but together, they’re able to generate quicker responses and more creative solutions to blockers as well. Using collective problem-solving, teams can navigate challenges more efficiently, allowing them to continue pushing the project forward without delay.
5. Fosters Commitment
When trust is present, team members are able to form a powerful connection between the company and their work.
They develop a strong sense of loyalty and belief—in their leader, in their team and in the mission of the company—that grows their investment in the organization’s overall success.
As a result, team members become highly engaged and determined in the ways they drive success in their role. Leaders will see them striving to go above and beyond to execute projects and contribute to the company’s overarching goals.
6. Promotes Empowerment
Appreciation has the power to build motivation.
A culture built on trust provides employees with the assurance they need to know their efforts will be recognized and valued, which motivates them to continue to contribute their best efforts.
Moreover, knowing their voice will be heard and their opinions will be seriously considered empowers teams to share their ideas for improvement—ideas that could catapult the company toward future success. From there, all they’d need is a little bit of trust to create the movement that converts their ideas into real, tangible results.
Build Trust to Drive Results
Great ideas have the power to propel your business toward new growth, but even the most strategic plans and groundbreaking initiatives won’t succeed if they can’t get off the ground.
To push beyond thinking and into doing, leaders must prioritize building trust.
Trust is the catalyst that prompts immediate and effective action, allowing teams to actively build that new growth in real time and turn their ambition into achievement and their potential into performance.
Ready to start putting plans into motion? Learn how to build a high-trust workplace with our new course, Building Trust. We’ll show you exactly how to inspire trust at every level, empowering you to inspire action on any project to achieve the results you’re aiming for.