Why Most Leaders Fail at Building Trust (And How to Fix It)

Why Most Leaders Fail at Building Trust (And How to Fix It)

?? Listen to the full episode on YouTube | Apple | Spotify


In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, Donovan Mattole, Chief HR Officer at Langan Engineering & Environmental Services , discusses how friendship, resilience, and trust play crucial roles in leadership and organizational success.

Donovan emphasizes the importance of building authentic relationships, fostering trust within teams, and maintaining a work-life balance through self-care and reflection. He also shares how leaders can create a culture of accountability and collaboration by prioritizing connection over control.

Watch the full episode by clicking below ??


Trust and connection are at the heart of successful teams, without them, no tool or technology can make a difference.

In this episode, Donovan discusses:

?? The Importance of Friendship in Leadership

→ Why maintaining strong personal and professional connections is vital for resilience and success

?? Trust as the Foundation of Teams

→ How trust-building exercises and shared accountability drive high-performing teams

??? Resilience and Wellbeing in HR

→ Practical strategies HR leaders can use to prevent burnout and foster engagement

?? Leadership Evolution

→ How the concept of "teamship" promotes collaboration, trust, and shared responsibility across departments


?? What advice Donovan had for future HR leaders:

You can't achieve high performance without trust. Build that foundation before introducing tools and strategies.
Take time to build and nurture friendships inside and outside of work. A strong support system is essential for your growth and resilience.

?? You might be interested in:

This episode covered so many important topics, here's an additional resource for you to dive a bit deeper:

?? We couldn't do it without you!

Thank you Donovan Mattole for sharing your time, expertise, and vision with our listeners.

Also our episode and series partner, Deel and their brilliant team Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang and Dan Westgarth.

None of this would be possible without Lisa Ryzhykova , Shane Kemp , James Elwell , Rio André , Kenneth Browne and the team at HR Leaders and atlas copilot for bringing the podcast to life.

Thank you to our previous guests: Lucrecia Borgonovo , Stuart Martin, Jenny Griffiths and Alejandro Modarelli, Andrea Illes, Anindyo Naskar, Laila Gillies, Kristy Sundjaja, Andy Molinsky, Aurora Martinez, Alex Bailey, Casey Bailey, Steve Degnan, and many more.


?? Join us at our next event:

  1. How to Develop a Dynamic Skills Framework to Empower Your Workforce for Long-Term Success - 27 February
  2. How to Leverage Total Rewards for Unmatched Employee Engagement and Retention - 20 March
  3. How to Use AI in HR Without Losing the Human Touch - 27 March


P.S. If you like the HR Leaders podcast, help us grow the show by rating us on Apple or Spotify ??, and Repost this with a friend or colleague ??.





Craig Richards

Co-Founder & Group Managing Director - Leadership Development, ICF ACC Executive & Corporate Coach, Podcaster, and D&I Master Practitioner

3 天前

As always Christopher Rainey insightful and practical

回复
Thu Nguyen, MBA, SHRM-SCP

Head of HR - Tokyo Tech Lab | A Believer in HAPPINESS, LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

1 周

thanks for sharing. great!

Leeroy Mathias

Structural Mechanical Engineer at Medgulf Construction Co W.L.L., Qatar

1 周

Informative episode! Nice to hear in the introduction Donovan share that he started working in 1995, that it has been 30 years and that this has been his 5th company. Good to hear Donovan talk about Langan Engineering & Environmental Services in saying that they have projects in 100 countries and have 40 offices from London to Dubai, Panama, Calgary and all across the US. It was a revelation to hear Donovan share in the conversation that he was the Head of HR for Americas at Brenntag. Great to hear Donovan share in the episode that there are impactful moments of his life when the friendships have made the biggest difference. Glad to hear Donovan share in the conversation that they have done some team building and trust exercises that have really brought them together. It was an interesting observation made by Donovan in the episode when she said that businesses fail at the exit process and that the exit process makes the difference. It was amazing to hear Donovan share in the conversation that he is so grateful for people who have been there for him throughout his life.

Rubini Lechemanam

Senior HR Specialist ?? | Building my HR career, powered by continuous learning ?? | Growth is an endless journey ?? | Let’s make HR fun again! ??

1 周

Trust is built on the foundation of how we treat others, and this episode was a great reminder to always lead with empathy.

Mohamed Atef Elmelegey, GPHR?, SHRM-SCP? ????

Daily HR, Leadership & Coaching Insights | ?? HR Leader | EX, Shared Services & HR Transformation for Large Enterprises | GPHR?, SHRM-SCP?, GRCP?, GRCA?, IAAP?, ICEP?, IRMP? | ICF UAE Ambassador | Panelist & Moderator

1 周

Great insights on the importance of friendship, trust, and resilience in leadership. Building authentic relationships and fostering trust are key for success. Thank you for sharing!

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