Being trustworthy is more than a desirable characteristic of leadership and management—it is an essential characteristic. If you aren’t trustworthy, employees and customers won’t feel they can count on you when the going is tough, nor will they give you honest information or opinions. You are perceived as trustworthy when your actions are consistent. You do the right things regardless of personal risk. Trustworthy people keep promises. Trustworthy people show that they are concerned about the interests and wellbeing of others. People trust based on their observations of how you behave and treat them. Steve Marr, former CEO of a large U.S. import–export company writes on his blog, that “Genuinely trustworthy leaders embrace and demonstrate four basic behaviors:
(1) follow-through
(2) readily admitting mistakes
(3) sharing decision making with others
(4) accepting responsibility for one’s own actions and results.”
Trusting others can be frightening because you give up the illusion of control over outcomes. To gain increased productivity that comes from working with people who are invested in your organization and its future and in solving the challenges to be successful, it is essential that you learn to trust others. One clear advantage to trusting others is you are then perceived as trustworthy.
This Month
- Competence
- Act with Courage
- Honor Honest Failure
- Humility