3 Ways That Leaders Can Use To Build Trust!

Trust is the lubricant that drives the engine of markets and businesses. It is trust that holds an organization together and lead employees toward the organization's strategic vision and mission. In the fast-paced world, one thing that we humans have ignored or perhaps forgotten about is ways by which trust can be built. In this article I will explore 3 components that we use in our Leadership Development Program to help leaders learn practical ways by which they can build trust within their teams and external stakeholders.

The 3 components for building trust are as follows:

1.Positive Relationship: To build positive relationship with team members or other important stakeholder, efforts are required. Leaders can take the following steps:

????????Listen, understand and acknowledge. Often, we focus too much on the problem, and ignore the person’s feelings and emotions. By listening without judgement, understanding the concern at hand and acknowledging the problem he/she is facing can help in making that person feel heard, understood and valued.

????????Give honest and open feedback. This means not to include emotions, taunts or any other negative words while giving feedback. People appreciate constructive feedback, particularly feedback that directly impacts their problems or concerns.

????????Resolve conflicts and problems. People like and trust those leaders who resolve their problems and win their hearts. As a leader it is the inherent expectation of the followers that their leader will solve their problem and resolve any conflict that may incur.

????????By practicing empathy and care. Sun Tzu in his book art of war writes, “treat you men like brothers and sons, and they will follow you to the deaths of hell”.?If leaders treat their followers the way they treat their sons and brothers – that is with empathy and care, they will be able to build positive relationships and win their trust.

2.Competence and expertise: Competence, skills or extraordinary abilities are valued in any society. People tend to follow those who have achieved extraordinary things through their skills or competence. Therefore, it is important for leaders to keep a constant learning attitude. The following are some of the ways by which leaders can demonstrate competence and build trust:

? ???????Using good judgement in decision making. Decision making is a difficult task, therefore it requires experience, expertise and wisdom. Leaders who exercise good judgements, people are inclined to trust them more.

????????People look up to leaders when they need solutions. Leaders who give quality solutions, are able to gain trust of their employees easily. Trust also increases if the advice and solution help in achieving the desired results.

3.Lead By Example: Leaders who are able to walk the talk, lead from the front and set examples for their followers to follow are able to gain trust.

?? Walk the talk is when a leader does what he/she says. Honouring commitments, keeping promises and walking the talk attitude has been valued by human beings since inception. People consider these traits very noble and place high trust on leaders who are true to their words.

????Lead from the front is when a leader is always at the forefront of every matter. No matter what the situation is, no matter how tough the challenge is, no matter what the circumstances are, the leader is there to protect and lead his followers. This attitude results in creating trust, reliability and team unity.

In conclusion, trust is not a one day job. It requires time, efforts and commitment from the leader. By implementing these steps that have been listed in this article, leaders can build trust and improve their team performance which will result in organization's growth and profitability.

About The Writer

Tanzeel is?CEO?of Meaningful Lives, who is a seasoned?corporate trainer?and coach with focus on behavioral and physical transformation through soft skills and wellbeing training He has over?8 years?of experience in training transforming professionals and organizations in Australia and Pakistan.

He has worked with top global organizations, include?Hudson Global Resource?a leading MNC providing learning and staffing solutions in Australia. He has enabled organization and professionals in Pakistan to unleash their potential and reach peak productivity level by providing practical training solutions.

He completed his?MBA?from CQ University Australia in International Business and an ACCA Affiliate. He is a Certified Public Speaker from?California?Institute of Behavioural Neurosciences Psychology and a Certified Professional Trainer from?IAPPD, UK.?Tanzeel also teaches Leadership and Management courses to MBA students. Tanzeel is also a Certified Fitness Trainer from?Australian College of Sports and Fitness?and Certified Boxing Trainer from Punchfit Australia?