Trust-Centered Leadership: The Role Of Transparency, Empathy, And Collaboration

10 tips for enhancing workplace relations

“We don’t trust you. Trust has to be earned.”

To my surprise that was the message I received early in my career when I moved to Australia for three years.

It wasn’t anything against me, personally. But I was a foreigner working for an American company “down under.” The attitude of some business executives was that I was basically profits and sending funds back to the states, instead of remaining in and supporting their homeland.
 

Over dinner, the owner of a large company in the fitness industry explained the facts of business life to me and I realized there would be a struggle to gain acceptance and become trusted. I was up for the task and succeeded.

The world, of course, is not so insular today but the same kind of message can resound for any company, international, national, or local. Any organizational change—new leadership for example—brings with it a subconscious lack of trust until proven otherwise. And at the beginning of any engagement, you have to anticipate a lack of trust.

Trust is essential for many reasons, not the least being profitability. PwC’s 2023 Trust Survey found that 91% of business leaders agree that their ability to earn and maintain trust improves the bottom line. In the same survey, 94% of employees, 92% of business leaders, and 92% of consumers agree that organizations have a responsibility to build trust and 64% of employees say they recommended a company as a place to work because they trusted it.

On the other hand, while 79% of business executives say their employees trust the company, only 65% of employees agree. And when asked whether or not company leadership gives appropriate attention to earning trust only 45% of executives and 34% of employees say that they do.

What can be done to close these gaps?

Trust Begins at the Top

When leaders display trustworthy behavior it establishes the right tone for the entire organization. That means being open and transparent, and honestly sharing vital information, especially when a company faces challenges. It also means showing vulnerability and humility by admitting mistakes and taking accountability when necessary.

Trust is a Two-Way Street

Research shows that when workers are trusted by their managers they are much more likely to reciprocate that trust. In turn, they will perform to a greater extent at a higher level and exceed expectations. Encourage feedback and be responsive to their input, letting employees know what action you have taken or why certain actions cannot be taken.

Trust Means Open Communication

Communicate often and consistently. As I wrote in my book, Culture Ignited: 5 Disciplines for Adaptive Leadership, “Go out of your way to deliberately signal your trust. Don’t assume your employees know that you trust them. They’re not mind readers, so you have to tell them.”

Trust Means Purpose

Constantly embed purpose in everything you do. When you implement business changes, always link them to your overall corporate purpose and mission. An effective approach is to provide real-world examples of how purpose is cultivated by individuals within the company. Share examples of these role models at every opportunity.

Trust Means Empathy

Leaders should act with empathy, displaying a genuine understanding of any difficulties employees endure. You can’t pay lip service to this need. It’s an essential part of leadership, especially in a crisis. Show your team that you care about them on a personal level and not simply because they get their work done. Make sure they understand how they fit in the greater scheme of things, and take responsibility for showing them that they’re not just a name on a paycheck.

Trust Through Delegating

Most workers respond positively to freedom, and no one likes to be micro-managed. Trust your team to do their jobs. One survey, according to a Harvard Business Review article, discovered that 49% of employees subject to stringent monitoring reported severe anxiety as a result of such an obvious lack of trust. I have employees I trust implicitly to get the job done without having me look over their shoulders. It shouldn’t be a problem if you’ve been effective in your hiring process!

Trust Through Flexibility

With hybrid work having become so popular it’s important to allow employees to juggle where and when they perform their duties. Don’t feel compelled to check in with them all day every day. Concentrate on results and achievement rather than whether they’re sitting at their computer from 9 to 5. Studies have shown people work longer hours when working from home.

Trust Means Collaboration

When workers work together they forge relationships which, in turn, engender mutual trust. Encourage an atmosphere of ‘being all in it together’ rather than competition. You can cultivate team relationships with team-building activities or offside retreats.

Trust Means Sharing Credit

Don’t be a credit hog. You’ll find that employees will trust your leadership when you give credit where credit is due and publicly acknowledge their contribution not only to their peers but to top company executives.

Trust Through Fairness

Don’t play favorites. One way to create distrust is to blatantly give preferential treatment to some members of your team over others whether an invitation to socialize or being assigned major projects. If you want people to put their faith in you, you have to be even-handed and operate on a merit basis.

Final Thoughts

My conversation many years ago with the Australian business owner always stuck with me and led me to emphasize throughout my career the need to build trust, especially with members of my team. The trust that began with an open discussion over dinner grew stronger and although we live 8,0000 miles apart the businessman and I remain great friends today.

Author Bio

Jason Richmond is the CEO and Chief Culture Officer at Ideal Outcomes, Inc.