By Tracy Brower
Today, true leadership is harder, but more important than ever. In a world that is increasingly volatile, complex and ambiguous, leaders are integral to creating the conditions in which workers can thrive and organizations can generate great results.
Trust is key to this process. When people trust their leaders, they’re more likely to give their best effort, contribute to a positive culture, and stay with an organization.
Fortunately, leaders can create trust in surprisingly straightforward ways. Here’s why trust is so important, and how to generate trust within your own team.
Why trust matters
While the importance of trust may seem self-evident, it’s fascinating to consider its impact based on research. This research clearly communicates the big potential rewards leaders can gain by making the effort to enhance trust.
One study found that employees at companies where trust is high report having 106% more energy in the office, 74% lower stress levels, 76% more engagement, and 50% higher productivity than those at low-trust organizations. Another study published in the Journal of Production Economics found that performance was enhanced when people had higher levels of trust.
In addition, when leaders focused on follower needs and building trust, employees were more positive about their work and more empowered—and this resulted in greater creativity, innovation and productivity, based on research published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.
And when researchers at Slack surveyed more than 10,000 desk workers around the world, they found that feeling trusted in the workplace has the greatest impact on employee productivity.
Be visible and accessible
One of the first ways for a leader to build trust is to be visible and accessible. You don’t need to be on 24/7, but when leaders are more available, they drive trust. A global study of almost 5,000 people by Oracle found when leaders were more visible and accessible, team members were more confident and performed better.
People have a cognitive bias toward people who are familiar—tending to trust those they see more often, know better and understand more. In addition, when a leader is more available, they send a message that they are attentive and that they care enough to tune in and support the team.
Leaders can build trust by being visible in person as well as from a distance—by having regular contact and communication with team members, turning their camera on with virtual discussions and spending time intentionally in one-on-one meetings.
Be responsive
Another primary way for leaders to generate trust is through being responsive to team members. One study found that when leaders were receptive to people’s questions, replied to team members and made decisions efficiently, people felt more secure that leaders would be there when employees needed them. In addition, responsiveness tended to communicate respect and empathy, which influenced workers’ desires to make an effort and perform well.
Leaders can demonstrate responsiveness by checking in on how people are doing and exploring whether they need support, and by answering questions quickly and thoroughly. Leaders are also wise to be proactive—being aware of what’s going on in the organization and helping people anticipate what might be coming in the future, and how they can best respond.
Be consistent
An additional way leaders generate trust is by being consistent. Of course, leaders must adapt to the shifting demands of the market, customers, or the organization—as well as to the diverse needs of team members—but even with appropriate adjustments, people want to work with leaders who are predictable. Especially in terms of their values, their motivations ,and their character. Evidence for this can be found in compelling research published by the Academy of Management.
In fact, researchers have found that stress is reduced when bosses are more consistent. And people prefer a leader who demonstrates poor behavior—but does so predictably—over a boss who is a loose cannon or behaves erratically.
Leaders can build trust when they are easy to read, when they explain themselves, when they prioritize self-discipline, focus and careful thinking.
Generating all kinds of trust
As you’re generating trust, you can also consider how people decide to trust. People tend to trust based on two streams of thought. In one, often called “cognitive trust,” they make rational decisions based on the behaviors they experience. In another, referred to as “affective trust,” they decide how much to trust someone based on how the person makes them feel.
Another helpful way to think of trust is by distinguishing between “task trust” and “relationship trust.” With task trust, people believe you’ll follow up, do what you say and complete tasks. Relationship trust is when people trust you at a personal level to keep their confidences. Relationships can have one type of trust or the other—but those which are most rewarding and productive tend to have both.
The bottom line: As a leader, you want to be available to your team members, receptive, responsive, and consistent in the way you behave. Leaders should also value team members and prioritize their needs. This ensures that you’re creating an experience in which workers feel respected, appreciated, and supported.
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