LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
... equipping leaders with tools, skills, and weapons to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

TITLE : Relationships 101 : Growth & Development Of Relationships

Trust: The Foundation of Leadership

How Can I Build Trust with Others?

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” ~George MacDonald

Welcome to the 17th episode of the relationship 101 series. I hope this spur you to becoming a better leader. Today we begin the third and final section of "Relationships 101 series". This section covers the growth and development of relationships. I would like to talk to you about the topic of trust and how it is the foundation of leadership.

Strong character - values or integrity is the basis of trust. Character is the most essential component of leadership. Trust just like respect is the one quality that cannot be acquired, but must be earned. It is given by co-workers and followers, and without it, the leader can’t function. Trust is the foundation upon which relationships in every setting are built. It is the emotional glue that holds leaders and followers together. The moment trust is gone in leadership, everything begins to fall apart. trust is necessary in ALL good relationships. Good marriages, business relationships, and friendships all require trust. Without it, there can be no open and honest interaction, and the relationship will be only temporary.

The highest gift anyone can give you is not their time, energy, respect, admiration, resources or their effort. The highest gift they can give you is their trust. Do everything you can to protect it.

Trust is an attitude that allows people to rely on, and place confidence in, other people. By establishing trust, leaders introduce a degree of stability and certainty into the chaos of life. “Do my people trust me?” is the central question of leadership, and leaders must continually monitor the level of trust that exists on their team.

Building Trust

#1 Show Respect : People are drawn to those who make them feel valuable. Leaders win trust when they expect the best from their people and treat them as worthy of respect. In a sense, followers are like mirrors: they reflect back the level of trust that’s shown to them.

#2 Be Dependable : People trust what has proved to be reliable over time. They take note of a leader’s readiness to sacrifice for their benefit and of his or her willingness to work hard on their behalf. Once they’re convinced that the leader is on their side, fighting for them, people naturally extend trust.

#3 Speak truthfully : Being truthful involves the twin components of consistency and honesty. Honest leaders speak in a sincere, forthright manner. They mean what they say, and they refuse to shy away from the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable. Leaders help people get past the discomfort of painful truths and help them move toward decisions that improve their situation and bring growth. In the long run, people trust and appreciate straight-talkers more than sweet-talkers.

#4 Develop Character

Character is integrating your words, deeds and actions. (I'll share deeper on character in the new series). Perhaps nothing evaporates trust faster than when leaders are weak in values or character.  A leader demonstrates consistency by making words and action compatible. "When your words and actions match, people know they can trust you." Character makes trust possible.
Trust makes leadership possible.