Do You Trust?
The best leaders recognize that trust impacts us 24/7, 365 days a year. It affects every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture, every effort in which we are engaged. As noted leadership expert and author Stephen Covey said, “It changes the quality of every present moment and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future moment of our lives — both personally and professionally.”
These days, it seems trust is on the decline. Trust in our culture, in our institutions, and in our companies is significantly lower than a generation ago. Covey states, “Research shows that only 49% of employees trust senior management, and only 28% believe CEOs are a credible source of information.” We are in the midst of a trust crisis and if we don’t find leaders who are willing to build and engender trust among their organizations and communities then we may find ourselves stuck in a culture of distrust. This will lead to organizations and companies that lose out to the competition overseas, stray from the ideals that make America great and become completely inhuman and robotic.
The best leaders focus on building trust within their organizations – it becomes a specific goal just like any other goal. This goal must be communicated, measured and discussed constantly and when it is a priority for the leadership, it will become a priority for entire organization.
The transformation starts with building credibility at the personal level. Covey writes, “The foundation of trust is your own credibility, and it can be a real differentiator for any leader. A person’s reputation is a direct reflection of their credibility, and it precedes them in any interactions or negotiations they might have.” When a person’s credibility and reputation are high, it enables them to create trust fast. Trust equals productivity and efficiency. When your organization is productive and efficient, you can consider yourself on the road to victory.