Leadership Value #6: Trust

Yesterday we learned that in order to accomplish something great in this life you will need the help of others.  Following that thought, a question has risen up and has begged to be asked.

Q:

As a leader, what is the key ingredient needed for people to want to follow me?

Answer:  Trust.

Trust is literally the glue that holds individuals/groups together.  And your level of trust will determine your amount of influence you have in your workplace.

Think about it.  The more you trust someone, the more you will risk for them.  (And if you have been following these posts, this acronym dwysywd is the key to building that trust.)

So here are 4 suggested ways to start building your trust:

1.  Behave predictably and consistently: 
When you have a task to accomplish. Finish it.  Or at least start, and struggle your way through it.

2.  Communicate clearly: 
If you make statements about your intentions (no matter how tentative they are in your mind) people hear them as promises...(yikes!!) *Remember, when there is a communication vacuum, people tend to fill in the spaces with their own thoughts (and that can be bad for you).
 
3.  Treat promises seriously: 
The more serious you are with your promises -the more serious people will treat them.

4.  Be forthright and candid: 
If you can or you can't ---just say it already!