The word trust is derived from the German word trost, meaning comfort. This is an appropriate association because when we trust someone, we are comforted by the belief that this person has our best interest at heart and thus will not endanger us or put us at risk. Trust is a critical component in all human interactions, just as in mathematics the quotient is the result of division, a leader has the ability to divide and separate teams as a result of their individual leader behaviour. Trust is cultivated by daily and continual repetitive behaviour that demonstrates the trustworthiness and safety of a person. Leaders have the responsibility to go first and demonstrate the desire for this kind of high level relationship dynamic.
Trust has many types. Following are two types of trust that we encounter most often in team settings.
Generalized. We trust on the basis of our mental model that people are generally honorable. Generalized trust is a leap of faith in that we choose to trust without evidence that our trust is deserved or without concrete assurance that whom we trust will deliver positive results.
Behavioural. We bestow trust on the basis of how we experience a person’s behaviour toward us. That is, if someone has exhibited reliability, honesty, competency, compassion or courage, over time that person earns our trust. Earn is the operative word in this instance. Trust cannot be sustained by virtue of rank, power, and position alone. It must be supported by ongoing good behaviour, which then validates our confidence in bestowing our trust in a person.
It is true – individual leader behaviour is the single most important predictor of organizational performance. In keeping with that core belief we focus on the second type of trust – behavioural. Trust-earning or building behaviours include:
• Consistency in manner, words, and actions.
• Accountability and transparency, including actively listening, sharing information, and taking responsibility instead of blaming.
• Genuine or sincere interest in and concern for others.
• Respectful and equal regard for and treatment of others, regardless of rank or position.
• Focused attention.
• Principled and evidence-based decision making.
• Dedication to fulfilling (not just making) promises.
• Willingness to celebrate and reward good and exceptional work.
These behaviours depict the self-awareness traits of influential leaders. As masters of interpersonal relations, influential leaders know that their everyday words, actions, and habits can either strengthen or weaken trust. People can only take so much bad behaviour before they lose their willingness to trust and begin to feel disconnected from their leadership and organizations.
Trust must exist among members of teams for it to function at its peak. Trust enables the team not only to perform its daily function but also to rise above conflicts and crises. In fact, by the strict definition of a high performing team, if you do not have trust you do not have a real team at all. Ideally, trust should be at a high level, but at a minimum, it should be at an acceptable level, allowing the team to develop and execute organizational plans and strategy.
Absence of trust almost always brings about negative consequences. As indicated in a study by Deloitte titled “Truth in the Workplaces: Ethics & Workplace Survey,” both employees and executives who participated in the survey agreed that lack of trust hurts morale. In addition, executives responded that the presence of no trust damages productivity and profitability. Simply stated, low or no trust puts the organization at a competitive and performance disadvantage. You as leader have the ability to lead from your upper-brain to positively build trust in your organization every day.
In the presence of negativity and stress your upper-brain shuts down in favour of the lower brain’s propensity for survival. As leaders, you are ridiculously in charge of the results your teams produce. If you have the desire, you can learn to lead from an upper brain built for performance. In doing so, you have the ability to create an amazing future for you personally and the long term sustainability of your organization.
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.