Gaining Credibility at the Speed of Trust

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Martha Hopewell, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

What does trust have to do with leadership credibility?

It turns out…a lot!

A couple of months ago I was coaching a client who is a new executive director of an urban nonprofit.

A person with a very bright and energetic mind, she was familiar with her organization, having worked there before. She had a good idea of what she was walking into, although—as is true most of the time—taking on the top leadership role is full of surprises!

Another client I’ve recently worked with was brought into a business to enliven and initiate new marketing approaches.

Also very bright and energetic, she arrived filled with great ideas and excitement to make a difference. In taking on this newly created role, she too, found her share of surprises.

Each in her own way—in navigating the sometimes smooth, sometimes choppy, and sometimes obstructed currents of leading—learned a valuable lesson: one has to find the right rhythm to earn credibility.

As we were exploring this theme together, the first client shared a valuable “a-ha” for us both. She declared: “I need to go at the speed of trust!”

In his book “The Speed of Trust,” Steven M.R. Covey writes: (Trust is) “the most overlooked, misunderstood, underutilized asset to enable performance. Its impact, for good or bad, is dramatic and pervasive. It’s something you can’t escape.”

Going at the speed of trust is an indispensable understanding and approach for an organizational leader. But I also believe it’s indispensable for teammates, community members, life partners, friends…gosh, think of how important this is in relationship with one’s children!

And I concur, if you care about being credible, it really is something you can’t escape.

What is a relationship in your life that could benefit from you building more trust?

What is a step you can make in that direction today?

Yours on the journey,

Martha