Performance & Trust
Dr. Paul de Souza
Founder President at Cyber Security Forum Initiative (CSFI.US) National Security Professional | Advisor | University Professor
I want to touch on a leadership subject that is near and dear to my heart: the issue of trust and performance. One of the best presentations on this subject is from renowned author and eternal optimist Simon Sinek in his book "Start With Why." I highly admire his work.?
Simon has worked with the Navy SEALs as an inspirational leader. Simon asked the Navy SEALs how they picked the guys who joined Seal Team Six, who are often considered the best of the best of the best. The Seals drew a graph for Simon. On one side, they wrote the word PERFORMANCE, and on the other side, they wrote the word TRUST. I came up with the following formulas for Performance and Trust.
Performance can potentially be measured by using the following formula: Skills + Speed + Problem-solving. Can I trust you will get the job done flawlessly and on time??
Trust can potentially be measured by using the following formula: Truth + Transparency + Reliability. Can I trust you with my money, my secrets, or my own life??
Most of us want high performers and high trusted folks to be part of our teams, of course! Simon describes from his interaction with the Navy SEALs that they would rather have medium performers of high trust, sometimes even a low performer of high trust, than a super performer with medium trust or low trust. For what some consider the highest performing organization on the planet (Navy SEALs), this paradigm can be a wake-up call for many of us.??
We seem to have thousands of metrics to measure someone's performance and negligible to no metrics to measure someone's trustworthiness. This can be the blind spot of modern business leaders. Many organizations value performance above trust, thus creating a workplace where trust, transparency, and reliability become secondary or the tertiary traits of your team (if at all). When that happens, toxic environments start to pop up within the organization. That is when we begin to hear the famous words "throwing someone under the bus."?
Value high performers on your team, but remember to also tie their performance skills to the virtue of trustworthiness. Performance can be taught and developed quickly, whereas trust cannot. At the end of the day, the most trusted leaders who create an environment for everyone else to succeed might not be the highest performers.?
Remember that it is not hard to find high performers in the marketplace for the right price. However, it is tough to find trusted leaders who can create a safe environment for high performers to operate in. On rare occasions, one might be lucky enough to work with highly trusted leaders who are also high performers. Still, from personal experience, this is a rare reality.??
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I want to tie this short article to two other helpful articles I have written in the past:
From a Connection in Cyberspace to an Opportunity in the Real World
Five Ulfberht Sword Leadership Tips for Business Growth
I hope these articles can help your personal, professional growth and the growth of your organization. Enjoy!?
What questions would you ask in an interview to assess a candidate's trust? Or would that information have to come from previous coworkers?
Very true and great article! A lot of one’s success and what contributes to performance of trust lies in not only the mechanismsmechanisms and processes, but the human factor in how we treat and interact with others!
Passionately Curious | Connector of Dots | Capability Sherpa
3 年Great article Paul!
Independent Contractor - Problem Solver
3 年Irony - I came across his video yesterday and shared it with someone. This is great reminder of some of the principles you lead our team through the other day as we discussed connections, relationships and opportunities. Thank you for your insight Paul.