Trust in Leadership: Key Traits of Leadership
Trust is the backbone of teamwork and leadership. Let’s talk about trust in the workplace to give a realistic example of this. We agree to a very simple contract. Leaders rely on their teams to fulfill tasks in a timely manner, and in return, team members rely on leaders to provide them with the tools for success.
Negatives arise when trust is broken. Staff may begin playing the blame game with each other or even searching for other jobs. Studies have shown that people will not stay in a position if they can’t trust their superiors.
Loss of Trust
Failed expectations often result in a loss of trust. If there is an employee that has consistently missed deadlines, it makes it difficult to have faith that they will complete further assignments in a timely manner. What happens when there is a loss of trust? How can you rebuild that between you and your team as a leader?
Acknowledging the Gap in Trust
Leaders can rebuild dependability by acknowledging the gap when it is created. It’s important to let the employee know that their performance had not matched up with the expectation. Use accurate information to describe the issue. Tell them the cause of the loss of trust, so the team member knows exactly what the issue is.
Leaders must show trustworthiness to be trusted. Leaders must have open and honest conversations about how reliability can be rebuilt for both parties. Take time to communicate and truly find a way to improve this issue.
Follow Through
Once a method of resolution is found, it’s important to follow through and check in with the team to make sure both parties are committing to the terms of this new agreement of trust. Showing that you are willing to follow the new expectations as well as have those new expectations accomplished is the best way to recreate that dependability.
Dilemmas handled with trust result in greater benefit and prevailed integrity. Ensuring questions are answered honestly and failed expectations lead to new goals for growth is crucial for building trust and finding success for future projects.
