Leaders build trust by communicating clear expectations, demonstrating genuine concern for employees, following through on commitments, being transparent during difficult conversations and consistently modeling trustworthy behavior. Together, these actions improve employee engagement, coaching effectiveness, collaboration and organizational performance.
Why is Trust Important in Leadership?
Trust increases employee engagement, improves communication and strengthens coaching relationships.
In our sales coaching research, 76% of the firms told us coaching is a critical driver of success. Effective coaching hinges on a strong trusting relationship between the leader and the sales rep.
As Lou Cimini, former Vice President of Human Resources at Samsonite, explained it, the power behind coaching is that it allows the leader and the salesperson to “arrive at a common path—an agreed upon output—and in some cases, the tactics to get there, and then the employee has what they need to go out and achieve those goals.”
But before they can arrive at that common path—in fact, before the coaching process even begins—the employee has to be receptive to coaching. And more than anything, that requires trust.
To understand why trust matters as a leader, consider your own experience. If you don’t believe your manager’s primary objective in coaching you is to help you reach your personal and professional goals, then you’re probably not going to be very receptive to what they have to offer.
A coach has to create an emotional connection and show that they understand it’s about you, not them. If they don’t, the relationship won’t make it far—and you won’t get the full value of those coaching conversations.
As the manager, building a receptive environment for coaching takes some time and effort, but the value extends well beyond the coaching conversations themselves.
When people trust you, they will:
- Work harder
- Listen more intently
- Believe you have their best interests in mind
- Be more forgiving of mistakes or misunderstandings
When trust is low:
- Resistance is higher
- Miscommunication is more likely
- Your intentions may be questioned
- Motivation drops
In his work on The Neuroscience of Trust, Paul J. Zak notes that, where there’s high trust, employees are more productive, energetic, collaborative and more likely to stay longer with the company. “They also suffer less chronic stress and are happier with their lives, and these factors fuel stronger performance.”
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How Do Leaders Build Trust?
Aside from specific managerial and coaching skills, leaders build trust by developing a mindset that is others-focused.
To have honest, open discussions with your employees, you have to be able to put yourself in their shoes and be willing to do the work to establish common ground, connect emotionally and break the barriers to pre-occupation.
In the coaching engagement itself, the manager’s responsibility for creating trust in the relationship includes such actions as:
- Establishing rapport before initiating the coaching dialogue
- Setting aside your agenda and focusing totally on the person
- Recognizing and adapting your communication to their Behavior Style
- Communicating your sincere interest in that person’s development
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5 Ways Leaders Develop a Culture of Trust
Trust develops over time through consistent daily behaviors. When coaching their employees, trustworthy leaders:
- Communicate clearly
- Listen more than they talk
- Show empathy
- Instill ownership and accountability
- Give honest feedback
- See more in their people than they might see in themselves
- Put employee development ahead of personal agendas
While it takes time to develop, trust can be damaged quickly. Leaders lose trust when they:
- Fail to follow through
- Send mixed messages
- Play favorites
- Avoid difficult conversations
- Prioritize short-term results over people
Here are 5 leadership actions you can take to begin forging these all-important trusting relationships:
- Clearly communicate expectations to each person. Don’t assume they know what you’re thinking or would respond to the same internal motivators that you do. Communicate with their perspective and behavior style in mind, not your own.
- Show you have their best interests at heart by what you say and do. Realize that sometimes actions speak louder than words. If you talk a good game but show through your behavior that you’re really looking to “catch and punish” rather than coach and develop, your employees will see right through it.
- Follow through on commitments given and received. This isn’t just about what you’ve committed to your employees but also about your employees’ commitments to you. If you can’t be trusted to care about whether or not they follow through, then they won’t care either.
- Be truthful and authentic, even when it isn’t easy. As a manager, you’re going to have to deal with tough issues from time to time. Conversations about performance problems or other challenges are never easy, but when you’re candid about the issues and show that you have their goals and success in mind, you’ll strengthen the relationship.
- Model trustworthiness with your team members and customers. Plenty of companies have value statements that tout a commitment to trust and integrity. But that doesn’t mean those qualities automatically translate into everyday behaviors. Through their own actions, managers are the ones who set the standard. Your employees will notice and follow your lead. And that means your customers will notice, too.
Building a culture of trust isn’t accomplished through a single initiative. It’s the result of hundreds of consistent leadership decisions over time.
Leaders often assume trust comes from expertise. In reality, employees tend to trust leaders who consistently coach, communicate clearly and demonstrate a genuine concern for their success and a sincere belief in their ability to achieve more. These are the leaders who create workplaces where employees perform at their highest potential and customers experience stronger relationships.
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