The Importance of Sincerity in Leadership.

The Importance of Sincerity in Leadership

Connection and trust are key elements of leadership. And I firmly believe that to gain connection and trust, you must be sincere.?

You might just think sincerity means being yourself, and for sure that’s a key part of it. Putting on a persona and trying to be somebody else is about as insincere as you can get.?

It’s also pretty self-evident that claiming credit for others’ work or exaggerating your own achievements or qualities is unlikely to gain you much trust. Ditto backstabbing and two-facedness.?

But there are also more subtle behaviours that come across as insincere which you might not even realise you are guilty of.?

Sincerity also means having a genuine interest in the wellbeing of your colleagues. There’s a huge difference between merely asking somebody about how they are getting on, and fully listening to and comprehending the answer.?

If you don’t clearly display a regard for your team – whether it’s their hopes for the future, the pressures of their workload, or personal issues that may be affecting performance at work – then you’re unlikely to gain the trust needed to effectively lead.?

So listening is vital but of course communication is a two-way street: the way you keep your colleagues informed of developments is fundamental to sincerity also.?

For example, if you have bad news to share they certainly won’t appreciate it if they find out late in the day, or if you dress it up as something it is not. You’ll fundamentally benefit more if you’re straight and honest from the off.?

One of the reasons certain leaders struggle with sincerity is because it requires qualities that many of them lack: self-reflection and humility. In other words, recognising their own weaknesses as well as strengths, and owning up when they’ve gone wrong.?

Obviously if you’re routinely admitting errors then you’re probably in the wrong job. But we all make missteps and quickly righting the wrong, rather than covering it up, is easily the best means to maintain the respect of those you need on board.?

Finally sincere leadership also comes with sensitivity and respect. The way you talk and act around your team, the culture you foster, and your methods of working will also indicate whether you sincerely respectful of the sensitivities of others.?

Ultimately you will instinctively know if you are being fundamentally honest and clear with those around you. But we can all be guilty of more minor behaviours that may affect how we are being perceived – be aware of these to maintain the culture of trust that you need to lead.?

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