We are in a crisis. What’s more, our biggest crisis is not the financial one. At the World Economic Forum in China last week world leaders declared that our biggest crisis is not financial but a lack of trust and confidence. We are in a trust crisis and few people really understand the bottom line implications. Not only does it affect credit and government relations, but it also affects every relationship and every organization. Professor John Whitney of the Columbia Business School found, “Mistrust doubles the cost of doing business.” He is right. Without trust leaders lose teams and sales people lose sales. Without trust we all lose productivity, retention of good people, reputation, morale and revenue. The lower the trust the more time everything takes, the more everything costs, and the lower the loyalty of every one involved. However, with greater trust come greater innovation, creativity, freedom, morale, and a bigger bottom line.

All of my Master's research points to the fact that trust is the fundamental key to the most successful leaders and organizations. Obtaining this level of trust isn’t easy. If you are looking for a quick fix, don’t look to trust. While it may appear to be static, in reality it is more like a forest—a long time growing, but easily burned down with a touch of carelessness. Trust is by nature solid and proven. Without trust no lasting genuine success exists--just a brittle, fluffy, mirage of the real thing. The good news is that we can build this fundamental key to success. It is worth it! And it is the ONLY way to genuine relational or organizational success. Following is a synopsis of the eight pillars that build the Trust Edge.

1. Consistency: It’s the little things, done consistently, that make the big difference. In every area of life it is the little things. If I am over weight it is because I have eaten to many calories over time, not because I ate too much yesterday. If I am a good husband I am doing the little things that honor my wife on a daily basis. It is the same in business. The little things done consistently make for leaders being followed, increased sales and retention, and a higher level of trust. Consistency is the way brands are built and character is revealed. Even if we don’t like McDonalds, we trust them because they deliver the same burger in Cleveland as in Tokyo. Do the little things, consistently.

2. Clarity: People trust the clear and mistrust or distrust the ambiguous. Be clear about your mission, purpose, expectations, and daily activities. When people are clear about the mission they do the little things differently. A clear mission unifies and inspires. When a manager is clear in expectations, she will likely get what she wants. When we are clear about priorities on a daily basis we become productive and effective.

3. Compassion: Think beyond yourself. Never underestimate the power of sincerely caring. It is the reason we trust our mothers over some sales people. We are skeptical if the sales person really has our best interest in mind. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is not just an old saying, it is a bottom line truth. If followed it builds trust.

4. Character: Do what is right over what is easy. Character is a mix of two things. One is integrity, which means being the same from beliefs to words to actions. The other is moral character. It could be argued that Hitler had great integrity but low moral character. Most people know what is right. It is doing what’s right that is the difficult. We know we should respond to that email or stop watching TV and exercise or read to the kids. Take the high road in every interaction.

5. Contribution: Few things build trust quicker than actual results. Be a contributor that delivers real results!

6. Competency: Staying fresh, relevant and capable builds trust. The humble teachable person keeps learning new and better ways of doing things. They stay current on ideas and trends. According to one study the key competency of new MBA’s is not a specific skill, but rather the ability to learn amidst chaos. Arrogance and a “Been-there-done-that” attitude keep people from growing. There is always more to learn so make a habit of reading, learning, and listening to fresh information.

7. Connection: People want to follow, buy from and be around friends. People become friends when they build connection. Ask questions. Listen. Life, work, and trust are about relationships. All relationships are best built by establishing genuine connection.

8. Commitment: Stick with it through adversity. Followers trusted General Patton, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Jesus and George Washington because they saw commitment. They saw sacrifice for the greater good. Commitment reveals and it builds trust.

Trust does not start with the economy or government. It starts with individuals becoming trusted. When will we get out of this trust crisis? When we as individuals decide to build the Trust Edge on a daily basis. Keep on being trusted.

Dave Horsager, MA, CSP is an award-winning speaker, producer, professor, and entrepreneur. He has energized audiences on four continents with his humorous dynamic style and compelling bottom-line insights that help leaders and organizations gain the Trust Edge. Find out more at www.ideahorse.com or call 800.608.8969.

Labels: consistency, growth, leadership, relationships, teams, Trust, Vision

If vision is not shared consistently your team will lose it. Experts say if vision is not shared at least every 30 days your team will not know it and will lose inspiration. If vision really does motivate, unify, and encourage people to step up, it must be a central part of how a leader leads on a daily basis.

It is interesting how people "step up to the plate" when given a little vision. When one of my daughters was only two and a half years old we let her help set the china on the dining room table and we have all wood floors! You might think we were crazy but you should have seen her. She stepped up so proudly and carefully carrying and placing every place setting. Now, you have to be alright with a drop. But the truth is she has never dropped a single plate or glass. Why? Part of it might be that we shared some vision and gave her a little responsibility. My son does not carry this success story, but isn't a broken plate or even a few worth the opportunity to learn responsibility and grasp a vision. To see people step up is a leader's motivation.

I can remember growing up on the farm and my dad lived out his advice of "always give a child as much responsibility as he or she can handle." Of course, learning how much one can handle ensures mistakes will be made. I can remember spreading fertilizer when I was about ten years old and running the tractor into our car. Another time I drove too close to the ditch with the dump truck containing a thousand gallons of water and chemical and tipping it. I was twelve years old at the time. Did Dad get angry, never. I knew he believed the best of me. I knew I had made a big mistake. I wanted to do my best for a leader that would believe in me and give me great opportunities.

There are really two types of vision. Giving individual vision for how great a single person can be. And there is the bigger vision. The vision of the organization or team or family. Share both often. You will inspire, encourage, and unify.

How can you share more vision with your team, organization, or family? A few ideas follow:

1. Simplify the vision of your organization so that people can remember it.
2. Every chance you speak tie back to the vision.
3. Get the vision in front of people whether on desks, the refrigerator, screen savers, framed pictures, t-shirts, mugs, above the urinals or stall doors, or weekly emails.

Labels: leadership, Vision