How Can Leaders Build Trust?

As I was reading my daily fix of http://www.investors.com/ because I am the next Warren Buffett (hardly!), I came across an article in the Leaders & Success section: http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=551922 written by Steve Watkins.

 

For those that don't know, the Leaders & Success section of the Investors' website has a lot of interesting stories about people that were considered exceptional leaders in their field and in life as well as what made them extremely successful. 

 

The article outlines eight different ways in which leaders and organizations as a whole can build trust to get ahead in the marketplace. Being the loquacious individual that I am, I will not touch on all of them and spare you my propensity to babble. However, there are a couple suggestions that I felt were worth highlighting.

 

“Open Up Internally”

I agree that leaders need to be transparent with their followers. Having them involved in setting strategy and gaining an understanding on how goals and budgets are set is important. I think what is missing from this article is to what level you get them involved. If you involve too many people you run the risk of analysis paralysis and end up never getting anything done to achieve your goals.

 

“Get Others On Board”

I like the fact that it talks about how a lack of trust will in essence force individuals to protect themselves as opposed to protecting the organization. This is completely true; however, I think what Mr. Watkins failed to concretely capture is how to achieve this one. 

 

“Be Transparent”

As with the other suggestion "Open Up Internally", I completely agree that a true leader (be it a person or organization) should be transparent. However, there are limits. To me morality, ethics, and character should draw that line in terms of how much transparency you provide. The only issue here is that a lot of so-called leaders fail in all three.

 

Are there other major ways leaders can gain trust that are not represented here? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Common Attributes of True Leaders... Do They Exist?

After a brief blogging hiatus, which was filled with starting and finishing house project after house project after house project before it turns to sub-zero temperatures and the white shroud shows up in Minnesota, I am back at it all be it slowly.

As I continue to read books on leadership, observe and listen to those (near and far) in leadership positions I can’t help but wonder if there are a common set of attributes that make up true leaders. I mean if you spend some time searching online (Google or Bing) for articles on leadership attributes you will find countless lists of what people and organizations perceive to be the top 5 or 10.

So, are there a common set of attributes? From my perspective there appears to be. Here are five (5) attributes that appear to be common and that I personally feel are foundational to being a true leader:

1) Inspirational Vision 

A true leader definitely needs to be conscious and aware of today, but they also have to have the ability to focus on tomorrow. It is imperative for a true leader to have a distinct picture of what the future will look like.

A true leader also needs to know where they are going, is adept to inspiring and motivating others to follow, and can show them how to get there. Anyone can have a picture of tomorrow but if it doesn’t inspire others to follow, it more than likely is a mirage or a delusion. 

2) Communication

In order for a true leader to entrust, exchange information, castigate, reward, etc… they must be able to communicate. This is probably one of the biggest failures that leaders and those in leadership positions have. It’s one thing to have an inspirational vision, but if one can’t articulate it effectively how can they expect people to be inspired by it, follow, and eventually make it a reality.

A leader who can communicate effectively is seldom misunderstood or misinterpreted. This requires understanding your audience, practice, and knowing the difference between information and communication.

3) Humility

As a true leader, having a sense of humility is imperative because it substantiates one's humanity. Those that follow are already aware of what their leaders do well and what they don’t do well. Masking or hiding this short-changes one important element of leadership, self-awareness.

Some leaders, regardless of how great they are or are perceived, get themselves into trouble when they start believing in their own success which usually has some sort of press clipping associated with it. Leo Buscaglia a.k.a. "Dr. Love" had a great quote that definitely applies here: “If you get too big for your britches, you will surely split your pants and expose yourself for what you really are.”

4) Strong Character

It's difficult enough to lead, but it becomes even more difficult leading others if you do not have strong character. Character in this context encompasses the following: honesty, integrity, ethical, high moral compass and firm grounded beliefs.

If a true leader lacks strong character, how can they elicit trust with others? The answer is they can’t.

5) Courageous

You can also call this bravery, fearlessness, bold, the list is endless. It also can be represented in many different ways, but in this purview it revolves around taking risk. More often than not, there are going to be those that think a leader’s vision is ridiculous or unfounded. 

However, a true leader will be courageous enough to take calculated risks in all forms to realize their vision, stay true to their convictions even though others feel they are out of the norm and be able to plow through their own personal fears to make it a reality. A classic example of this attribute is Winston Churchill.

How do these attributes compare to your list? Please let me know.

Losing Trust in Leadership? Part 3 of 3

So far in this blog series I have talked about two reasons why followers lose trust in leadership: Leaders Don't Walk the Walk and Leaders Spin Too Much. So, what completes this trinity? The answer is:

Reason #3: Leaders Don't Admit Their Mistakes

If you have been reading this blog series, some of you may be thinking that I am really throwing down the gauntlet here or trying to attack leaders, but don't confuse this topic or draw the conclusion that I am saying leaders are flat out lying to people. In some rare cases they are (again thank you politicians, you make my blog easier to write!), but more often than not they are either withholding information that proves they made a mistake or simply practicing the art of spinning (and no I am not referring to the workout craze) to mask it. As has been commonplace in this blog series, I beg the question: Why? Do leaders truly understand the perception that this brings and do they really think people will continue to follow them by staying on this course?

Now there are several ideas, philosophies, and notions that state leaders should not admit when they have made mistakes. The presumption is they lose credibility, feel it would make them look incompetent, or in some cases even lose power with those that are following them. My feeling is that this is no more than an example of obstinacy which is normally a result of their own ego. But, here again lies the complexity in leadership and shows its direct correlation back to the human element of it because everyone has their own personal philosophies, fears, uncertainties, and doubts. The real problem as I see it lies in the fact that leaders simply can't get out of their our own way!

I think we all can agree that a true leader needs the strength to recognize criticism and not simply ignore it. Unfortunately, many leaders make the mistake of thinking that ignoring criticism or less than expected outcomes translates into never admitting that they are wrong. However, to persist with an action that isn't working just to try and prove a point to themselves, is the worst thing a leader or anyone can do. Just ask our politicians. Again, thank you for the ammunition!

I personally think a true leader should ignore their ego, admit to mistakes and change course if events or results prove different than what was expected. People appreciate a leader who can stand in front of the firing line and simply admit to their mistakes at face value. In fact, it actually increases the trust and loyalty by fashioning the leader as a human being in the eyes of its followers and drastically reduces any negative perception that would otherwise be created. Now of course if a leader continues to make mistake after mistake after mistake, followers will and should question a leader's competence and overall ability regardless if the leader wants to admit to it or not.

So what is my point in all of this? My point is by a leader admitting their mistakes followers learn that their leaders are serious about being open, honest, responsible and most importantly accountable for what they do. Isn't this the foundation to creating trust and loyalty anyway?

Thoughts?

Losing Trust in Leadership? Part 2.5 of 3

OK, so I just read an article this morning that is a prime example of followers losing trust in their leaders because of their "spinning" and oddly enough (well not really) it happened in my own backyard.

Yahoo Sports posted an article last night that stated one of the main reasons why Brett Favre did not want to come back to play and had to have 3 players convince him was due to his lack of trust in Brad Childress.

Case in point, on Tuesday of this week Darrell Bevel (Offensive Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings) stated to the media that Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, and Ryan Longwell were inside the Winter Park facility. As we now know this was not the case. It was found out a day later that Darrell Bevel was told by Brad Childress that Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, and Ryan Longwell were inside the Winter Park facility.

Nice leadership coach! BE HONEST!!!!

Losing Trust in Leadership? Part 2 of 3

When people or “followers” start losing or simply never trust their leadership or leaders, it creates and fosters a tenuous situation which can lead to a series of significantly undesirable outcomes for both parties. In Part 1 of this 3-part blog series, I started outlining three (3) simple reasons as to why it is so hard for some people to trust their leadership. This post covers reason #2.

Reason #2: Leaders Spin Too Much

Let’s be honest, everyone spins or practices the art of doublespeak in some form or fashion when they communicate. Coaches spin. Managers spin. Executives spin. Politicians spin (actually politicians have a PHD in it!). Just a quick note for those that don’t know what doublespeak means, it is defined by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary as “language used to deceive usually through concealment or misrepresentation of truth”. Now that may be a harsh definition, but it does practically describe what happens.

So, the question is why all the spinning? In my observations, conversations, experiences, etc… I have heard a myriad of reasons and a lot of them fall into the category of either “This is not spin” or “We don’t want to create a panic”. Let’s briefly dive into each.

In the minds and thought processes of most leaders they are absolutely right in saying and feeling that what they are communicating (whether it is a vision, strategy, progress, results, etc…) is not spin. Given the fact most people believe that being positive and a motivator are common attributes of great leaders which inevitably results in their “calculated guidance” to their followers, one should expect the positive spin. To leaders this is how they rally the troops, let their followers know that is exactly what they expected to happen, our glass is half full, there is light at the end of our tunnel, blah, blah, blah. To them, this is just who they are and how they are wired which again ties back to the very human element of leadership.

The problem with it is when that is always the message given, regardless of how good or bad a situation is. To me, this causes leaders and leadership to plunge into the clairvoyance trap. What I mean by this is that leaders start to believe that their followers automatically understand the intent when they themselves aren’t sure what it is. When they aren’t sure themselves they simply conceal their uncertainty with ambiguous communication or spin. This simply should not happen and there is an easy solution: Know your audience, tailor your communications to your audience, and BE HONEST!

As for the other school of thought that leaders don’t want to create a panic, this obviously only applies when communications or news is not positive. The thought is if leaders communicate things that are perceived as negative or performance is not what was envisioned or planned, then the followers are simply going to make a mass exodus. This is simply not true. Obviously, there are always going to be those that go follow someone else and there is nothing that can be done in that scenario. But the more and more leaders consistently communicate the positive or spin even the negative into a positive followers quickly know something is not right and will draw their own conclusions. Usually these are not positive. Do leaders really want this outcome?

Again leaders need to be honest, tell both sides of the story, and simply state the facts as they are. Followers need to know what their leaders really are thinking, but more importantly they want to know that leaders have a plan (without a personal agenda) and associated actions to match the “words” of that plan (i.e. Walk the Walk). This becomes even more paramount when dealing in difficult times like the ones we are experiencing today.

Ben Horowitz, who is the cofounder and General Partner of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, wrote a recent blog post on “CEOs Should Tell It Like It Is”. The post is geared toward CEOs, but upon reading it I found a lot of what he said can easily be abstracted to the concepts and theories of leadership. If you have the time, I highly recommend reading it.

In the end it comes down to leaders instilling confidence, keeping people relaxed, and being aware of the personalities amongst those that follow them. What leaders a lot times forget is that reality resides in what followers perceive and what they are experiencing / feeling. Spinning doesn’t remedy these perceptions or feelings, only honesty does.

Thoughts?

Next Week: Leaders Don’t Admit Their Mistakes

Losing Trust in Leadership? Part 1 of 3

I recently stumbled across a 2009 CNBC news story that talked about trust in leadership. Specifically, it talked about how 40% of senior managers worldwide don't trust corporate leadership to navigate them out of the economic crisis and 46% of these same senior managers were unsure of their leaders ability to carry out a plan. These alarming statistics got me to thinking about trust in leadership in general and why it is so hard for some people (a.k.a. followers) to trust their leadership or leaders.

As I thought about it, I narrowed it down to three simple reasons which is the focus of this 3-part blog series.

Reason #1: Leaders Don’t “Walk the Walk”

How many times have you seen it, a so-called “leader” that over and over again inspires its followers through their personal passion, positivity, eloquent choices of words, phrases and language to describe what their vision is and how they intend to get to the promised land? It definitely can be exhilarating and make their followers stand up and cheer.

Unfortunately if a repeated lack of unyielding commitment and action doesn’t follow those awe inspiring words, that exhilaration is quickly lost and it becomes increasingly difficult to trust that leader going forward. A trusted leader simply cannot rely on their vision statement, personal passion, and inspiring words. Trust is not quantifiable; however, the actions of creating, preserving, and regaining trust require concrete processes.

In the end, a vision statement and all of those inspiring words are simply leaders trying to communicate to its legion of followers what they are trying to do.

To quote the almighty Yoda: “Do or Do Not. There is No Try."

Thoughts?

Next Week: Leaders Spin Too Much

How does one define Leadership?

I know that as you are reading this post the first thought that's coming to your mind is not another blogger pontificating about leadership. However, being a pragmatist (OK, maybe a pessimist or a realist) I find myself fascinated by the multitude of definitions and so called theories that are out there which describe "Leadership". My goal is to simply provide my rudimentary view and explore the perspectives of others as I swim through these murky waters. 

So, my question is: "how does one define leadership?" Seems like a simple question, but is it really? Considering that there are so many books, blogs, articles, people, etc... that claim to have leadership defined how do you know which is correct or which one you should prescribe to?

My feeling is there isn't one. There is such an overabundance of definitions / theories that it speaks directly to the very human element of leadership, thus leading to the complexities of its practices and a common definition. It is as varied as there are leaders and those that crave leadership.

We can certainly categorize the attributes that we feel comprise a great leader (i.e. visionary, motivator, positive, etc...) and the different styles or types of leadership (i.e. transformational, enforcer, serial entrepreneur, etc...), but at the end of the day isn't it simply one thing: "Leadership is calculated guidance".

Thoughts?