Trust and Leadership

When writing on the subject of engendering trust for a school paper, I feel as though I brainstormed a litany of characteristics for a leader to possess. Among the key ingredients for a leader in a corporation, on which I settled, are: integrity, emotional intelligence, knowledge, fairness and thoughtful decision-making, communication, and reliability. Without these qualities, trust is hard to come by.

In order to build trust, it is paramount that the leader first and foremost want to earn trust and that they are trustworthy. Once trust has been established, it is easy to grow its roots. However, just like the expression goes, “one cannot rest on laurels,” so one cannot let trust go unnourished. The risk lies in taking for granted the partnership a leader has with the constituents. It is important for the leader to be knowledgeable, to develop business acumen and to have quality expertise. And building a culture of learning and sharing promotes trust among the team, trust in leadership and trust in the individuals. But trust is delicate and can erode if care is not taken to be fair and make logical decisions, even if they are unpopular decisions. Communication is key and leaving an open forum for diverse contributions creates new opportunities, a sense of accomplishment for individuals and interdependence. Part of this engendering trust among multi-facets within an organization is to focus on talent development, diverse contributions to success and thoughtful promotions. Finally, trust cannot survive if a leader does not follow-through on their word.

A Skip in My Step

A couple of friends and I attended Day of Transformation at Maria Shriver's Women's Conference. We heard "amazing" people speak to us about the power of harnessing the moment. Tony Robbins wrapped up the day and wow'd the audience, even the skeptics in the crowd. The message that resonated the most was his talk about training the mind like a muscle to get in the habit of celebrating and rising above people's interest in commiserating. He made a valuable point at how much "state of mind" makes a difference in how we make decisions. And, he has also observed that people tend to temper their enthusiasm and their excitement for life. For some reason, it is often easier to connect over misery! Train the mind away from negative thinking because "celebration creates sustainable energy". From good energy, great decisions are made.

Did everyone walk out of that conference day with a skip in their step and a natural high? You bet most of us did! I skipped, until I tripped on my platform shoes and nearly twisted my ankle - waaaa! Just kidding! Hey, I didn't break anything. Maybe I'll try a cartwheel tomorrow!