Are You A Trustworthy Leader?

Leaders often struggle with trusting their subordinates and sometimes that lack of trust is warranted.  However, today's blog is all about you and whether or not you can be trusted as a leader.  

Once placed in a leadership position some leaders take the approach of "I'm the boss, you have to do what I say."  And then they wonder why employees don't actively get on board when they launch a new initiative.  Or why people seem to be sabotaging their efforts.  Or why there doesn't  seem to be any sense of loyalty in the organization.  

If there is one thing I've learned in my rather short life, it is that in order for people to follow you, they have to trust you.  Leadership is all about "leading" which would imply people want to follow.  But are they?  Are they following because they trust you or because they have to.  If it's the latter, you won't ever have loyalty.  Today, I want you to think about the answers to a few questions only you can answer and the impact those answers have on the level of trust others have in you.

1.  Do you do what you say you are going to do?  If you tell someone you will send them something, do you?  If you promise to schedule a meeting about XYZ topic, do you?  If you tell someone you will revisit a topic at a later date, do you?  

2.  Do you practice what you preach?  If you expect others to be on time for meetings, are you?  If you expect others to meet their deadlines, do you?  If you expect others to continually learn and grow as leaders, are you doing the same?

3.  Do you keep confidences?  Do your employees feel like they can come to you and you will do everything in your power to help them?  Do you only share information on a need to know basis?

4.  Can your employees trust that every decision you make each day is in their best interest as well as the company?  In a nut shell, can they have the confidence that you have their back?

By starting with a focus on the above questions and ensuring your actions are trustworthy on a daily basis, you'll gain more trust.  Remember, once you lose trust it is very hard to build it back up.  It's not impossible but it does take a candid apology and a change in behavior.  If you want your team to follow you, make sure they trust you.  And if you don't know what it would take to gain their trust, ask them.  

Mari