CXO Insight Series: The Awkward Art of Trust

Raman, a CXO, believes in empowering his team unconditionally. He delegates tasks without micromanaging and fosters an environment of autonomy. Raman blindly trusts his team implicitly, assuming they will perform well.

Positive Outcome: The team feels empowered, takes ownership, and delivers exceptional results.

Risk: Blind trust can lead to complacency or missed warning signs.

Revathy, another CXO, is skeptical of her team’s abilities. She collaborates closely, seeking constant updates.

Active Involvement: Revathy works alongside her team, providing guidance and monitoring progress.

Positive Outcome: Despite initial skepticism, the team appreciates her involvement and performs well.

Risk: Lack of trust may hinder team morale and creativity.

While trust is essential, leaders must balance it with vigilance and regular check-ins. Trust can be built incrementally through active engagement and transparency.

It can easily become an awkward game. Don’t you think?

Do you have any specific insights to discuss with me? You can book a slot: https://topmate.io/suba_lakshminarasimhan/

Let’s dissect Trust more.

Trust in leadership is a critical element for success. Stephen M. R. Covey, in his book “Trust & Inspire,” advocates for a shift from the traditional “command and control” model to a leadership style of “trust and inspire.”

Let me share some facts on the Psychology Behind Trust. Trust is the foundation of social relationships. It’s about relying on someone to do what they say they will. Trust encourages cooperation, safety, and achievement. Integrity—choosing courage over comfort—is key.

First Step to Check Trust:

Own Your Story: When you witness behavior lacking integrity, it is easy to fall prey to a knee-jerk reaction. Understand that everyone has their context and motivations. Self-awareness is critical here.

Check for triggers like your biases, opinions on the party from past interactions, or assumptions.

Separate Facts from Assumptions: Focus on specific behaviors that erode trust.

What is the fact? What sort of role does your assumption play here?

Reflecting on these questions is very important. If you are struggling to reflect right, better seek help. If you need a sounding board, you can book a discovery call with me here: https://topmate.io/suba_lakshminarasimhan/

Are you handling a lack of Trust?

Working with Untrustworthy Individuals can be challenging. I collaborated on a short-term project with someone who always over-promised and under-delivered. Her behavior impacted my schedules and overall project delivery.

What did I do?

1. I shared what I noticed. But, I didn’t see any change.
2. Changed the approach and started maintaining a businesslike demeanor.
3. We had transparent communication and created flexibility in approaches which helped a lot in maintaining the relationship as well as the project delivery.

Setting clear expectations, and defining deadlines, goals, and responsibilities clearly and consistently works wonders in a corporate setting, especially at the CXO level.

One of the challenges many CXOs experience in this AI era is not having clarity on the expectations and goals, mainly because of the ever-changing business needs.

Accept that this change is here and will be there, keep the messaging consistently circling so that Trust is re-built, slowly yet steadily.

Document Behavior: Keep records of any untrustworthy actions.

What to do When Others Don’t Trust You:

• Consistent Actions: Demonstrate reliability and transparency.
• Transparent Communication: Address concerns openly and seek feedback.
• Build Relationships: Invest time in building trust through consistent actions.
• Document Behavior: Keep records of any untrustworthy actions. (I know, I am repeating it here because it is critical)

Here are some missteps to watch out for:

• Lack of Transparency: Open communication builds trust. Be honest about decisions, changes, and challenges. As a coach, I recommend focusing on feelings and the involvement of emotions while making decisions.
• Broken Promises: Consistently follow through on commitments to maintain credibility.

Remember, trust is a delicate balance that requires intentional effort and clear communication. It is a two-way street. It requires courage, consistency, and a commitment to practicing values rather than just professing them. Trust is essential for effective collaboration and a positive workplace culture.

Trust matters—choose it wisely! ??

The author, Suba Lakshminarasimhan, is an Executive Leadership Coach and a Systemic Team coach who supports organizations in building high-performance teams through coaching engagements. She intervenes via long-term one-on-one and group/team coaching to address various requirements, specifically in areas such as Workplace Conflicts, Emotional/Self-Management, and Holistic leadership growth.

You can book a discovery call or apply for 200 minutes sessions with Suba here: https://topmate.io/suba_lakshminarasimhan/

Connect with Suba to discuss, and collaborate on your company's Leadership Engagement Initiatives. You can write to her at [email protected] to learn more about her practice.

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