Give2Get

Leaders have many powerful tools available to help them to provide inspired leadership. Inspiring people IS the stuff of leadership. Fear, retaliation, punishment and intimidation are the tools of authority. One motivates people to want to do their best to contribute to the greater good, as part of a Team. The other pushes people and manipulates them into submission with fear of loss.

Among the most important Leadership tools, TRUST is at or near the top, especially in the long term. A “leader” who lies sees everyone else as untrustworthy. In their world, you say what you have to say at the time. It’s understood. They don’t have to deal with the nuisance people call the truth. They don’t bother with it. "Everyone says 'what must be said' right?"

Trust is hard to develop and easy to lose. You can squander it in a second. The prerequisite to be trusted, is to trust. Nothing establishes me trusting you, more than you trusting me. If you want to be trustworthy, it starts with being trusting. And it’s smart to be leery when dealing with someone who makes it clear that they do not trust you. Once suspicion leaks in, it’s very difficult to eradicate it.

Fanatical commitment to truth and to clarity – (see my writings on “Precision in Language” here - https://www.donfreda.com/blog.html) are vital for a great Leader. Great Leaders are not required to go back over statements they have made and rationalize what they said in the past and “explain” what they meant. They give careful consideration to words before they use them. It takes a little extra effort up front, but can save a ton of time back pedaling down the road.

Great Leadership stands the test of time. In fact, the longer people have worked with a great leader, the stronger the bond because the trust is constantly reinforced empirically.

In the long run nothing is more important than trust nor more valuable. Being trustworthy releases your people from the wasted energy of trying to figure out exactly what you mean when you say something or if you have left an “escape hatch” to wiggle out of later.

Be straight forward and honest with your people. If you are, they will stay with you during tough times because they trust you. Develop a reputation of being “tricky” or “slick” and you will undermine your power with doubt and suspicion.

A leader speaks in clear concise words and with the ring of truth that their people come to appreciate and trust. It has massive power going forward but remember you must give trust to get it in return.