Consider the following situations:

✅ A leader shares an objective and delegates the responsibility of creating a plan to succeed to the team.

✅ A remote team member seeks advice on Whatsapp/Teams, and a colleague shares their experience to help.

✅ Members of different departments collaborate to address and overcome poor sales performance.

What do these scenarios have in common? Trust. It serves as the basis for effective relationships in every workplace culture and organization, and it is what motivates, influences, and keeps us accountable to one another.

Studies show that in organizations where people trust each other, employees report 50% more productivity and 29% more life satisfaction compared to those in low-trust workplaces, people are more collaborative thus engaged.

How frequently do you, as a leader, think about trust? Do you take into account whether your team trusts you and trust each other?

Think about your team and reflect on this:

🔶 Does my team trust me?: No trust? Your team may resist your ideas or not put forth their best efforts.

🔶 Do I trust my team?: No trust? You’ll end up micromanaging your team, and progress will stall.

🔶 Do team members trust each other?: No trust? Your team won’t work together creatively or efficiently.

Bottom line? –Fostering trust is a critical part of the work you do as a leader– to do so, your team need to believe that your authenticity, logic, and empathy are sound, what is called the trust triangle:

People tend to place trust in you if they perceive that they are engaging with the real version of yourself (authenticity), have confidence in your rationality and decision-making capacity (logic), and feel that you are concerned about their well-being (empathy).

If you believe that you are failing in any of these three aspects and your trust has diminished as a result.

🔷 I share some useful tips for you to restore it:

People instinctively distrust those who appear insincere or overly concerned with themselves. However, being authentic in the workplace can be difficult as it may not be appropriate to present yourself in the same manner as you do in your personal life.

To be authentic at work, anchor yourself with:

✅ Your values: Talk about what’s important to you and why, then live your values in your actions and choices.

✅ Your own words: Don’t parrot company jargon or scripts—use stories, vocabulary, and humor from your own experience. People will listen keenly when they hear real conviction in what you say.

✅ Your leadership styles: Follow company norms as necessary, but also make choices that are true to you. For example, if people tend to deliver important news via memos, but you would rather talk with your team in person first, do it. Then follow up the conversation with an official memo.

If people lack confidence in the validity of your ideas or doubt your ability to execute them, it is likely that the issue lies within your logic. When people do not trust your judgment, they may not want you to be in a position of leadership.

To build logic at work, work on:

✅ Your analytical skills: Use data and facts to support your decisions and strategies. Avoid making value judgments at all costs.

✅ Your ability to think critically: Challenge assumptions and ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of complex issues.

✅ Your logical communication style: Clearly and succinctly explain your ideas and plans. Avoid emotional language or making decisions based solely on personal feelings.

Many accomplished leaders find it challenging to exhibit empathy, which can limit their ability to practice empowering leadership. If people perceive that you prioritize your own interests over theirs, they are less likely to trust you as their leader.

To demonstrate empathy at work, improve:

✅ Your ability to listen: Give your team members your full attention and listen actively to what they have to say. Show that you value their input and are open to their ideas.

✅ Your emotional intelligence: Be aware of your own emotions and how they affect others. Empathize with your team members' emotions and respond in a compassionate and supportive way.

✅ Your communication skills: Communicate in a way that shows that you understand and respect your team members' perspectives and feelings. Use language that is inclusive and avoid making assumptions about others' experiences.

Final note: 

While it may be tempting to only focus on gaining the trust of those around us, –true leadership begins with trusting ourselves–. When we trust ourselves, we are able to lead with conviction, inspire others to follow a vision, and create a lasting impact that extends far beyond our own presence. So, if you aspire to be a great leader, remember to first cultivate a strong sense of self-trust, and the rest will follow.

On LinkedIN you find me here Margarita Vargas

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