When trust is lost

Reflecting on the past year, a stark trend emerges: a widespread erosion of trust. This decline is evident across various institutions, from academia and government to interpersonal relationships. The recent election serves as a poignant example, highlighting the public’s disillusionment with traditional leadership and their yearning for change.

Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership. It’s not just about inspiring your team to trust you; it’s about reciprocating that trust and fostering a culture of mutual respect and accountability. As Simon Sinek has noted, trust is a critical factor in high-stakes environments like Navy SEAL selection. In such situations, performance and skill are important, but the ability to trust one’s teammates is paramount.

Rebuilding trust, especially in today’s climate, is a complex challenge. It requires a deliberate and sustained effort. Here are some strategies that I’ve found helpful in restoring trust with colleagues, stakeholders, and others:

1.????? Be willing to confront other people’s reality. Just because you may hold different views, you must be willing recognize other points of view. Hear them out, talk about the uncomfortable or unspoken. Be willing to try and understand why they think the way they do.

2.????? Be transparent. This may seem obvious but seldom do we share the why behind our thinking or beliefs. Share your intent not just your point of view. With employees’ error on the side of disclosure, share what you can when you can. Be honest when you can’t share and try and explain why.

3.????? Be willing to say you were wrong. This is a big one, when you find you might have been mistaken, own it and share it! Most leaders think this is a weakness, but it is really a superpower. Saying “I was wrong” or “I don’t know” can be a real trust builder and sometimes lead to repairing of lost trust. Don’t let pride get in the way of doing the right thing.

4.????? Talk straight. Don’t sugar coat things (tells people they can’t handle what you are saying and can be condescending). Use simple language, using fancy words to sound important or to impress, tend to backfire. People don’t want to feel inferior or talked down to. This doesn’t mean being insensitive or rude but is more about being easy to understand.

5.????? Extend Trust. Sounds simplistic but telling people that you trust them can go a long way to building trust with people. Remember that trust is a two-way street, do you really trust people who don’t trust you?

Building trust can seem like work but rebuilding trust tends to be a lot more. Be very protective of the trust extended to you. It is one of the greatest gifts people can extend and likewise, extend trust where and when you can, and you may find that your results may just surprise you.