The E Side of Leadership - Trust

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Tricia Ryan, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
Stephen Covey

Since many of the struggles we go through in life seem to come from our self-limiting beliefs, it stands to reason that whatever you believe becomes your reality. From our research and coaching work with over thousands of professional women, many of us don’t have a clue about what’s holding us back from a happier more successful life (career & home life) and there is precious little available in terms of support, information and strategic practical advice that truly moves the needle for women.
Brian Tracy one of the most listened to international leadership trainers, as well author on personal and business success in his research talks about a person’s uniqueness and underutilization of their potential. He confirms that each person has unlimited potential that they can contribute to manifesting their dreams. They have huge reservoirs of creativity that can be unleashed to solve problems, overcome obstacles and achieve business and personal goals. Yet they don’t!
Women in particular struggle with leadership issues.

Research identified by Sheryl Sandberg and her Lean In Team confirms …
 In a survey of 4,000 employees at big companies, 36% of men said they want to be CEO. Only 18% of women said the same?
 Men attribute their success to innate qualities and skills. Women attribute their success to luck and help from others?
 Women are 57% of college graduates and 63% of master degree holders, but that majority fades as careers progress?

So why do women seem to hold themselves back more and appear less confident?
Imagine if there was a program that helped women put in perspective the E Side of Leadership by bringing back – expression, emotion, excitement, enjoyment and empowerment all with real live examples of managing the mindset that seems to be the heartbeat of success. Today the issue of trust in leadership is explored, without it there is no excitement, enjoyment or empowerment.
 
Within the workplace there are types of trust, they intersect and influence how we interact with our co-workers and how relationships can formulate. If you want to get things done in an organization, you need to understand how how trust works or you are going to find yourself left out of the loop—no matter what your qualifications are, no matter what your educational background and especially if you own or lead the company.

Research suggests that several different types of trust can exist within the workplace. They include:
COMPETENCE TRUST: It is the trust you have in the person who has the skill, the wherewithal, and the motivation to get the job done. That’s the person who can make things happen. You may not like or get along well with that person, but if you want to move the needle on a project, you trust that this is the person to do it.
BENEVOLENCE TRUST: It is trust in the person who has good intentions toward you. They will look out for you and bring you information that will protect you or advance your goals. You know that when you’re not in the room, this person will not undermine you. They are going to have your back.
INTEGRITY TRUST: This type of trust is similar to benevolence but is really driven by moral character. You know this person always operates with integrity no matter who is involved and regardless of how they feel about them. They will always operate according to their principles.
DETERRENCE BASED TRUST: This is a trust based on the threat of punishment if consistent behavior is not maintained. This trust is formed under the circumstance that individuals will do whatever they are told because they fear the consequence of not doing
IDENTIFICATION BASED TRUST: This trust relies on the identification with the other’s desires and intentions, and on the appreciation of the other’s needs.
KNOWLEDGE BASED TRUST: This trust is developed through repeated interactions that allow an individual to collect information about the other and develop an expectation that the other’s behavior is predictable

Many experts agree that trust is perhaps the most important element of a harmonious, synergistic and efficient work environment. Organizations that have trust among employees are usually successful, those that don’t frequently are not.

So how can woman build trust in the workforce, and how can they avoid losing it? According to Dave Bowman, Human resource expert at TTG Consultant: “it all starts at the very top, since trustfulness – and trustworthiness – can exist only if top management sets the example, and then builds that example into every department and unit.”

He suggests that there are five excellent ways for leaders to build trust into their teams and they include:
1. Establish and maintain integrity. It is the foundation of trust in any organization. Integrity must begin at the top and then move down. This means, among other things, keeping promises and always telling the truth, no matter how difficult it might be. If a company and its people have integrity, an organization can be believed.
2. Communicate vision and values. Communication is important, since it provides the artery for information and truth. By communicating the organization’s vision, management defines where it’s going. By communicating its values, the methods for getting there are established.
3. Consider all employees as equal partners. Trust is established when even the newest rookie, a part-timer, or the lowest paid employee feels important and part of the team. This begins with management not being aloof, as well as getting out and meeting the troops. This should be followed by leaders seeking opinions and ideas (and giving credit for them), knowing the names of employees and their families and treating one and all with genuine respect.
4. Focus on shared, rather than personal goals. When employees feel everyone is pulling together to accomplish a shared vision, rather than a series of personal agendas, trust results. This is the essence of teamwork. When a team really works, the players trust one another.
5. Do what’s right, regardless of personal risk. We all know intuitively what’s “right” in nearly every situation. Following this instinctive sense, and ignoring any personal consequences will nearly always create respect from those around us. From this respect will come trust.

Women in particular have a challenge with trust and an opportunity. As more and more of us take on leadership positions we have the opportunity to identify these various types of trust and then implement the five step program identified above keeping mind the “E Side of Leadership!”

To understand and obtain the resources you need to build on the “E Side of Leadership”, consider the FocalPoint Business Coaching Model. It will deliver progressive action by taking a proactive “one step at a time approach”, unique to women in leadership, and build on your incremental success. TRyan@FocalPointCoaching.com www.TriciaRyanFocalPointCoaching.com