Journalists, researchers, and psychologists have been noting declining levels of trust for several years. Not only are people all over the world reporting lower levels of trust in institutions and public officials, but they also report declining levels of trust in each other. After an extended period of political, social, and economic upheaval, researchers report all-time lows in Americans’ trust. One survey found that only 39% of Americans feel “most people can be trusted.”
Leaders face a genuine challenge—how does one foster trusting relationships with colleagues and direct reports when no one trusts others? External factors complicate matters even further; hybrid and remote work can make it challenging to nurture strong relationships, and different cultural lenses and perspectives can cause some people to be concerned about authenticity.
With these complications in mind, it’s important to remember that trust doesn’t happen automatically, nor is it something a leader deserves by default. Rather, trust is built over time by actions that flow out of one’s character, competence, and consistency.
Character
Character may be the most crucial brick in the foundation of trust. Others will forgive mistakes and missteps if leaders display good character while correcting those errors. What is good character in a business setting?
- Integrity: no one in a leadership role has room to ignore integrity. Do the right thing all the time.
- Respect: good character is respectful of others, and a respectful leader treats others the way they would like to be treated.
- Caring: a good leader cares about others and extends empathy.
Competence
For those in a leadership role, the technical and professional ability to do your job well goes a long way toward building trust. It’s one thing to be of good character but incompetent at your job; people may love you, but they will not trust you to follow through or lead the team to meet goals. Pay attention to your level of competence, and work on those areas where you can improve. Working on your development can demonstrate to your team that you acknowledge your weaknesses and want to improve. That gives you authenticity. Visibly pursuing improvement gives team members implicit permission to work on their own weaknesses.
Consistency
People can spot a phony a mile away, and being inconsistent is a dead giveaway of someone who’s only putting on an act or show. Word will get around if you publicly display good character but privately berate or abuse employees. If you scapegoat or pass the buck after mistakes, that will reveal your lack of competence. Good character and actual competence can’t be faked, and doing both consistently will help you build trust with others.
Earning the trust of others takes patience and steadiness. Consistently displaying strong character and competently achieving what you set out to do will prove to others that they can put their faith in you and your leadership.
