Issue #30, April 29, 2010
Getting trust is an issue every leader needs to work at but it’s only the beginning of the journey. Servant leaders do the following to keep the trust of those they lead.
Accept the challenge of keeping trust.
Servant leaders recognize that being consistent enough over time to keep trust is not an easy task for any leader. They realize that the level of trust with followers is always in a state of motion, either increasing or decreasing. A sudden mistake is sometimes all that is needed to destroy years of building trust. Recent failures in the church and corporate world reflect how quickly trust can be lost. Servant leaders accept this challenge and ask for God’s help to consistently be trustworthy. They recognize that the results are worth the effort.
Take responsibility for the level of trust.
Who is responsible for the level of trust between you and your followers? Only you! If you have served for an extended time in your current position, the level of trust is directly a result of your leadership. If you have recently taken a position, past experiences shape people’s trust level but you are now the person to lead the group forward. Taking responsibility for the current level of trust does not make you guilty of the past, but means you take ownership of the present. Take responsibility for understanding the context of your leadership. What kind of leadership is expected and how is trust earned or granted by the followers in your setting? What is the history of the group you lead in regard to trust and how does that impact how you need to lead?
Commit to build a culture of trust.
Servant leaders aim for more than just personal integrity and consistency. They use their influence to build an environment of trust with those they serve. What would it look like if your entire church or organization was trustworthy? Servant leaders build a culture of trust by modeling trustworthiness and by modeling trust in others.
Model trustworthiness by focusing on living a consistent life of integrity. After leaders gain trust with followers there is a temptation to begin taking leadership shortcuts, assuming they have earned the right to be trusted. For example, instead of going through the process of engaging key leaders in a crucial decision, a leader who has earned trust might simply announce the plan assuming that people will follow. Ask yourself, can your followers have absolute confidence that what you say is always true? Have you appropriately admitted mistakes you have made to them? Do you consciously seek ways to open your heart to others? Would your followers describe you as a transparent leader?
Model trust in others by expressing your confidence in them. Verbally say, “I trust you” and release followers to do their jobs. Appropriate accountability is still needed, but demonstrate that you trust others. Trusting them does not mean that you expect perfection; they will make mistakes just like you do. But servant leaders not only seek to be trustworthy but consciously give the gift of trust to those they lead.
To think about: Does my leadership increasingly inspire people to trust me?
In the next issue we’ll examine the question of how a servant leader restores trust after it is lost.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Do I realize how difficult it is to maintain trust over a long period of time with those I am leading? Am I seeking God’s strength to be consistent?
- Are there things in the history of those I lead that make it easier or more difficult for them to trust my leadership? How should I adjust my leadership to reflect these realities?
- After establishing trust, in what ways am I tempted to take leadership ‘shortcuts’?
- In what ways do I model trust in those who follow me? Have I told anyone lately, “I trust you”?