Building Trust
“Consistency is the true foundation of trust. Either keep your promises or do not make them.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
If you want people to follow you, you need to be trustworthy. Like a stalactite, it takes a long time to build that trust, and it can be broken in seconds.
Tell the truth. Be transparent when possible, and let people know when you are holding back, e.g., “I can’t go into that because of privacy issues” or “I can’t give more details until the negotiations are concluded.”
Follow through when you say you will do something.
Under-promise and over-deliver. “I’ll get it to you this week” is honest; getting it to them on Thursday morning is better than Friday afternoon.
Admit when you make a mistake. No one is perfect, and throwing someone else “under the bus” kills people’s trust in you. A simple “That’s on me, and I’ll be fixing it by doing X, Y, and Z” builds your leadership integrity.
Don’t promote your personal agenda at the expense of the team. A truly successful leader creates a “rising tide” situation in which many people benefit. It’s great if you have ambition, but make sure you train your replacements and leave teams stronger than you found them as you are promoted up the org chart.
(quote source: https://quotations.nimblefoundation.org/2024/04/12/leadership-quotes-blog19/) (image generated using Midjourney)