One of the issues I always consider when CEOs come to me about improving trust in their leadership team is whether they have a sociopath in their midst. Over the years I've seen countless leadership teams have difficulties because either one or more team members is a sociopath. This even can include the CEO themselves.
I have moved house four times in just over three years. You think that my family and I would be really good at moving, but there is always something that trips us up every time.
Sitting in front of me is Emma, a quietly spoken woman with dark hair that softly frames her face. She is nervous and avoiding eye contact with me.
We are here to discuss what she believes the leadership team need to do to create a high-trust culture. Despite her visible nervousness, her answers are succinct and articulate. It is clear that she is loyal to the company, loves her job and colleagues.
Meaningful work is something we all crave. When we understand the meaning in the work we do, it increases our engagement and intrinsic motivation.
The Energy Project, a training and consultancy company, surveyed more than 12,000 employees across a range of companies and industries. They found a direct correlation between finding meaning in work and high performance.
Imagine a management team that has had a tough few years - dwindling revenue, archaic systems and processes that need an expensive overhaul and unhappy customers. A new CEO is brought in to steady the ship. One of his first jobs is to refresh the leadership team, stabilise losses and improve productivity.
For many leaders, managing trust in their teams is challenging because there are three different forces at play.
One of the challenges with being a leader is balancing cultivating a friendly, warm environment, while holding employees accountable to get more done at the right standard.
We all thrive when we feel trusted and when we trust others.
Trust is an emotion that's difficult to explain why it's important to us. These trust in business quotes help put context around the importance of trust at work.
Have you ever had a conversation with a boss and their reaction or language changed how you felt about them in that moment?
If you do a search on LInkedIn for Trusted Leader, you'll find around 1 million people have the audacity to label themselves "Trusted Advisor," "Trusted Leader" or even "Trusted and Inclusive Leader."
I say audacity because telling people you are trustworthy (particularly early in a relationship) is actually a red flag that you're not.