Trust

For the last tool in my leadership toolkit, I have selected trust as one of my non-course related tools. Now, you may be wondering what I mean by trust. What I mean by trust is the trust your followers have in you as a leader, which directly affects their loyalty. By using the tool of trust, leaders are able to gain the respect of their followers and increase co-operation.

“In the military we give medals to those who are willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may gain. In business, we give bonuses to those who are willing to sacrifice others so that we may gain” (Sinek, 2014)

 

During his TED Talk in Vancouver, Simon Sinek describes trust as a way of creating the feeling of safety among followers or employees as one of the major benefits of trust. His theory of trust is that it is not something people are born with, but rather a cause of the environment they find themselves in. The correct environment creates a capacity for anyone to change their position on trust and the level sacrifice they are willing to make for others. Sinek uses the military as an example of an environment that has created the capacity and position that sacrificing for your fellow armed force members is a natural reaction. (Sinek, 2014)

 

“I asked them why they do it, and they all had the same answer. Because they would do the same for me” (Sinek, 2014)

 

Sinek then ponders the question, why is this same mentality not used in today business world? In a world where there is uncertainty and danger are created through the likes of economic recession, new technology, or business competitors, greater leaders are those who make their followers feel unaffected by danger, or in other words, they establish trust. By treating employees as people, not numbers, you are able to create bonds with your employees that create a sense of safety. (Sinek, 2014)

 

“If you had hard times in your family, would you ever consider laying off one of your children? We would never do it. Then why do we consider laying off people inside of our organizations?” (Sinek, 2014)

 

In order to implement the leadership tool of trust, I believe the first step is to establish an environment where trust is at the forefront. If the environment inside of the organization does not make employees feel safe, they will not trust you as a leader and their performance will be affected. Once the environment is created, the next step is to lead by example from the top down. As a leader, you need to set the tone that trust is a part of the organizations culture and is one of its core values.

 

 

 

References:

Sinek, S. (2014, May 19). Why good leaders make you feel safe. Retrieved April 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo