Five Ways Every Leader Can Build Trust

Trust is valuable. We want others to trust us, and we want to be trusted. With institutional trust hovering at an all-time low, it is perhaps needed in those around us more than ever. As leaders, the need to build trust is dire. We can never lead at our best in a low trust environment. Here are five specific things you can today to begin to build trust with those you lead.

Be Honest

Maybe this could go without being said, but it can’t be left off the list. If you want to build trust with others, especially as a leader, you must be honest. When we are honest, people trust us more. As leaders, we must occasionally share difficult messages. And it is tempting to delay, spin, or downplay the message.

Don’t do it.

Tell people what needs to be said as soon as you can. Honest doesn’t have to be blunt or direct – make kind and clear your goal. Say what is true, and share what you can when you can. It also means being willing to be vulnerable and share how you feel too.

Listen More Carefully

Since we listen every day, all day long this may be the best place to start. When we listen to people – really listen to them – they begin to trust us more. Make a conscious effort to be more intentional about listening to others.

• Stop looking at your phone.
• Ignore other distractions.
• Be present.

These three things will make you a better communicator, helping you build trust in every one of these interactions.

Ask For (and Value) The Opinions of Others

Asking your teammate for their ideas and opinions will net you some amazing results. The best results include:

• Learning something.
• Getting better ideas (and results).
• Increasing commitment.
• Building trust.

You can ask others for their opinions every day. Which means you can create each of these positive outcomes every day, too.

Apologize

You will make mistakes. You will make bad decisions. You will inadvertently hurt, disappoint, or frustrate people. When you do, apologize.

Apologies keep us accountable and build trust.

Share More Responsibility 

One of the biggest reasons leaders don’t delegate is they don’t trust others to do the work. While it isn’t the only reason, it is what people see when they aren’t given new responsibilities.

“I guess they don’t trust us/me.”

Delegation requires trust. But more importantly, delegation proves trust.

Overall, Offer Trust First

There is an overarching theme in the five suggestions I have shared. This theme points to an important principle. To build trust, we must go first. And going first means trusting first.

Showing trust through our actions builds trust with others. And each of those actions and choices will begin to build trust immediately. Ultimately, trust builds one day and one interaction at a time.

If you want to build trust with those on your team, start showing your trust through your actions.