Establishing Trust. Building Transparency. Fostering Loyalty and Passion. Being Brave.

This blog post was written by? Andrea J. Wanat , chief executive officer of Value Network Western New York,?in August 2022 as part of our?52 Weeks of Leadership Program

When I was young, I always knew I wanted to lead something…. a group, a team, a mission. However, I didn’t quite realize all the hard work, intentional actions, and time investment that it takes to BE a leader. I didn’t really understand the four fundamental elements that it takes to be an effective leader. Establishing Trust. Building Transparency. Fostering Loyalty and Passion. Being Brave.

As I matured in my career, I was once faced with a huge challenge. I was put in a leadership role within an agency that had experienced trauma. The general dynamics were in alignment with the dynamics of a dysfunctional family. There were lies, deception, triangulation, and worst of all, a lack of trust. This dysfunction began at the top of the organization. From there, it trickled down among the team so that as a newcomer, I was "welcomed" with extreme caution, some minor excitement, and a lot of resentment.

Who is this woman? What does she think she can do? What does she know about our agency? Why should we trust her? So, as I walked in the door, ready and eager to make a difference, I was in for a rude awakening. This was going to be hard work!

Establishing Trust

As I settled into my new position, I began to reach out individually to each team member. I scheduled one-on-one meetings so I could gain an understanding of their role, their passion, and their skill set. I went to each staff member’s classroom or community site to see them in their element and watch and learn from them. I was genuinely interested in the team. I wanted to learn all about the agency so that I could be an ambassador of change, and I could help expand the great mission of the company. I was doing what felt natural, and obvious. But it wasn’t. What I learned was that the former “leader” had never observed the team or taken the time to understand what they were focused on. This made it very difficult to build trust with the more skeptical individuals. However, as I forged on, one by one the team understood that I was genuine and were so appreciative that I had taken the time to truly recognize their work and mission.

Although it was difficult to establish trust with this group, it was the most essential element that was needed to move the group forward together. This extends even beyond a close-knit team - especially when you are leading a collaborative entity as I am. Value Network IPA is a Behavioral Health Care Collaborative of more than 50 entities. It is a vast array of behavioral health, physical health, and community-based entities. It is essential to the success of the company to establish trust with partner entities just as it is within each individual organization.

Building Transparency

In the above example, and in other roles, it has become evident that building transparency among the team is essential to overall success. To be an effective leader, you must work with the team to build collective goals and consistently provide updates regarding the steps and mechanisms it takes to achieve those agreed-upon goals. Sometimes things go well, and other times not as planned. An effective leader is one who can bring the truth forward to the team and push ahead to make tough decisions as necessary. And, as you may expect, as you begin to build transparency with the team, you are concurrently working on the first area of leadership – building trust! On the network level, this can be done with a thorough communication plan, ongoing engagement of partners, and collaborative strategic planning sessions.

Fostering Loyalty and Passion

As a leader commits to the team, the mission, and the values of the company, it is imperative that they continue to invest in the team and model the behavior they hope is reflected across the team. Although this is not a model that is necessarily sequential, it is evident that the act of building trust and transparency will ultimately assist with fostering loyalty and passion on the team. Getting excited about successes, giving genuine praise and appreciation to team members (individually and within team meetings), showing up at meetings prepared, and having intentional and strategic goals all combine to create excitement on the team. If the leaders are excited and eager to make a difference, the energy is contagious.

So, as an intentional leader, it is important to be planful, to work with the team to truly understand their short and long-term personal and professional goals, and to align them with the company’s mission. In addition, ongoing reviews of job descriptions and project assignments should be shifted to be in alignment with personal and professional goals and the strengths of the team. This fosters loyalty and passion because people feel heard, valued, and appreciated, and ultimately, they are set up for success.

Being Brave

Because most change initiatives fail, leaders must be brave. They must forge ahead, and go above and beyond even when things seem dismal. Sometimes this requires quick shifting of decisions, and other times it includes testing out new programs that are promising, yet unproven. Whether you are adopting a team or building a new team, building trust, transparency, loyalty, passion, and being brave are of the utmost importance. What I’ve learned through experience is when you invest in your team, and truly seek to understand their strengths, passion, and superpowers, they will want to work together to achieve positive results. They will seek new opportunities that will challenge them, and they will thrive on the thrill of adventure, success, and change. Stepping out of your comfort zone can help others on your team want to do the same, and this can lead to great things!

Learn more about the University at Buffalo School of Management’s?Center for?Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness.