Are You a Trusted Leader?

Do you trust your staff? Do they trust you?

For a team to achieve great results, there must be trust amongst team members and trust in their leader. Without it, the leader is often shadowing or micromanaging employees at the expense of doing what his/her role really is about:-

• Ensuring the team is developing their skills and looking for ways of improving the teams performance.

• Ensuring that the environment is safe and conducive to productive work

• Ensuring that the work that the team is doing provides a purpose to individuals and they feel valued.

• Engendering a sense of belonging in the team.

• Recognising the work done and representing/promoting the team with clients, other departments and senior management.

For the team, the trusted leader will provide an environment where employees:-

• Enjoy the work environment

• Feel free to be their authentic self

• Raise concerns and report incidents

• Be innovative and want to find better ways of working

• Work hard and support team members to provide a higher productivity.

Trust is a vital ingredient for a psychosocially safe environment and in this environment there is better performance. There is less attrition, less absenteeism and less presenteeism.

As leaders, start the process of developing a trusted workplace.

• Be vulnerable. Show that you are human. Report incidents and show how we all learn from them.

• Develop a psychologically and physically safe team. Realise the impact of interpersonal risk and ensure everyone feels safe to speak up.

• Ask more, tell less. Trusted leaders are less about being directive and more about being inquisitive. They ask questions that empower employees, to trust themselves and take initiative.

• Have effective one-on-ones and meetings. Trusted leaders communicate in ways that improve what people need to do and understand what is going on.

• Find out the “what’s in it for me?” for each team member; what makes them tick and why they come into work.

• Create connection. Trusted leaders help their direct reports understand everything links together. The people, parts, processes and products, across the organisation, in order to increase meaning of work and reduce silos.

• Pull people into a meaningful future. Trusted leaders reduce uncertainty and fear through highlighting a brighter future to help people know where they fit in.

• Be accountable. Let your team know that whilst you are empowering them to take responsibility and use their initiative, you are still accountable for the outcome.

• Be visible. Transparency is the key to being trusted and ensuring accountability and safety.

• Develop a trusted team culture. Create a place where people are excited about going to work and contributing because they know they are valued and appreciated.

Contact InteChange to learn more about developing a trusted workplace and reap the rewards in your teams productivity through People Focused Leadership.