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Nobody wants to be an ineffective leader. Leadership is all about surrounding ourselves with the best people and helping them reach their goals and dreams. It is about empowering others to find their passion and explore ways to achieve their best results. Leading others is like climbing a ladder, step by step, and growing into the best we can be. But what does that first rung of the ascent upwards entail? What is the critical first step that precludes any further movement? Trust.

 [Tweet “Trust is a prerequisite for any successful leader.”]

So why do we have such a complicated relationship with trust?  On one hand, we want to feel that our teams see us as trustworthy leaders.  On the other hand, we may not be feeling that we have honest and genuine relationships with the people we depend upon daily to achieve our goals. We know that it is impossible to do great things without a culture of trust. How do we build a forthright community or team? 

Look At Yourself:

 It is important that each of us asks how we may be contributing to our team’s culture. Do we think we are trustworthy? Do we act and behave in a way that people believe we have integrity?

We each need to take responsibility for our actions and be open with our communication and information. Hiding facts to protect ourselves is not modeling trust.  Even when we need to share unpopular choices, we need to take the first step and just present the truth. Hard to do sometimes? Sure. Yet when we display behavior that is sincere and honest, we are moving in the direction of trust.

 Look At The Team’s Values:

Teams are as trustworthy as their team members and their core values. When people interact with each other, are all the facts shared? Do some seem to have more inside information than others? Do team members listen attentively to one another? Is the communication flow open, direct and respectful or do there seem to be many misunderstandings? Each member of a team needs to embrace accountability, especially when mistakes are made. Our mistakes are how we grow and learn and must be viewed as essential to our success.

 Look At How To Create Trust Together:

Constructing a culture of trust requires teamwork and leadership. One way to begin the process is by getting to know one another better. Find out what is important to each other and what path each person took to arrive at this point. These stories and journeys can help develop stronger rapport and find common threads to build upon. When each individual feels they have contributed to a new culture, they feel empowered and valued. There is enough room for each team member to be a leader. Move up that leadership ladder together!

 Are you part of a culture of trust? What first steps did you take? How do you model being a trustworthy leader?

 

 

 

 

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