Issue #29, April 14, 2010
How much do your followers trust you? Your answer to that question will determine to a large degree how effective your leadership will be. Trust is so vital to your leadership that we will take the next three issues to examine how to get it, how to keep it and how to restore it. Servant leaders get trust from their followers by focusing on the foundation of solid character. They recognize the following principles about trust.
Servant leaders recognize the power of trust in leadership.
Leadership simply cannot function without trust. Every leader/follower relationship is based on some level of trust whether formally written or quietly assumed. If people lose trust, they leave, or in situations where they can’t leave, they make themselves ungovernable as with King Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1-16). The level of trust that people have in your leadership determines your effectiveness as a leader and sets the tone for the entire organization. If you build an organization with a strong level of trust, it will be significantly more effective. Servant leaders acknowledge that trust is a gift from God which empowers them to lead.
Servant leaders recognize trust must be earned.
Some leaders assume that because they hold a position or title, followers should trust them. Trust may be granted initially to a person in a position but servant leaders realize that over time trust must be earned whether at home in family relationships, in the church, in business or any other form of leadership. Servant leaders recognize that they are responsible to act in ways that build trust and that they are continually either gaining or losing trust. They accept personal responsibility to live on a higher standard than those around them and acknowledge that they can be trustworthy regardless of the actions of others. Servant leaders work hard to build trust, not just to climb the leadership ladder, but so that they can more effectively influence others to be like Jesus.
Servant leaders recognize that trust flows from character.
Character, consistently expressed over time, yields trust. It’s so obvious that we can easily miss it…I will trust you if you lead with integrity; if not, I lose trust in you. Almost daily I read stories of leaders whose character flaws cost them their ability to lead. Servant leaders, empowered by the Holy Spirit, are strategically positioned to live with the highest levels of character. Even when they fail, they are not afraid to acknowledge their mistakes and try again.
Servant leaders recognize the power of a plan.
Character development does not happen by accident; it is forged as leaders make right choices over time. There are no shortcuts and no microwave solutions for developing character. Servant leaders are willing to pay the price of developing a plan to build their character not just because it is a good leadership practice but because it is their heart’s desire to become more like Jesus. They are ruthless in self-examination to expose character flaws and seek God’s help and the help of mentors and accountability partners to develop in areas of weakness.
To think about: Does my leadership inspire trust?
In the next issue we’ll examine the question of how a servant leader keeps trust.
For further reflection and discussion:
- How trustworthy am I as a leader? How would my followers answer that question about me?
- Is my trustworthiness growing or diminishing? What evidence can I point to that illustrates this?
- Am I aware of flaws in my character? (see checklist below)
- Do I have a plan to develop my character? Are there persons who can speak into my life in the area of character flaws?
Character checklist….
- Do I have obvious character flaws? (Anger, bitterness, immorality, bad language, lateness, lack of discipline with physical body, etc.)
- Am I in control of my tongue?
- Do I have respect for authority over me?
- Do I abuse my authority over others in any way?
- Can others trust that I will do what I say I will do?
- Are there promises I have made in the last month which I have not fulfilled?
- Do I have ‘secret’ sins that are unknown to others?
- Do I treat ‘weak’ people in a Christ-like way?
- Are my motives pure?
- Are my moods stable?
- Do I keep the confidences of those who trust me with their stories?