Strategic Trust
Self-Assessment: Strategic Trust
Please take a few moments to answer the following self-reflection questions. Where can you identify opportunities for personal growth in your leadership?
Do I make a conscious effort to build trust in all my professional relationships?
Do I consistently show respect for each team member, recognizing their contributions and value?
Are my actions dependable and predictable, so my team knows what to expect from me?
Do I communicate transparently, sharing both good and bad news openly?
Do I follow through on my promises and align my actions with my words?
Am I willing to admit mistakes or uncertainties, fostering a safe environment for learning and growth?
Do I act fairly and avoid favoritism, ensuring everyone has equal opportunities to succeed?
Do I maintain confidentiality, protecting sensitive information and encouraging openness within my team?
Remember, this self-assessment is just a starting point for understanding Trust as a leader. It's essential to reflect on your responses and actively work on areas where improvement is needed. Additionally, seeking feedback from others and working with your ECFL Leadership Coach can provide valuable insights into your emotional intelligence strengths and weaknesses.
“The glue that holds all relationships together—including the relationship between the leader and the led—is trust, and trust is based on integrity.”
In leadership, there are two words that we don’t commonly see mentioned together in conversation: strategic and trust. For leaders, understanding and leveraging this connection is vital. Being strategic means acting with intention, careful planning, and purpose. Demonstrating trust is having confidence, belief, and faith in others.
Strategically nurturing trust within your relationships is essential to achieving your fullest potential as a leader. When you deliberately work to build trust, you are laying the groundwork for open communication, mutual respect, and loyalty, all of which are critical for creating an environment where collaboration and innovation can thrive.
By focusing on the trust-building strategies we discuss in this lesson, you can inspire confidence in your team, encouraging them to take risks, share ideas openly, and fully commit to the organization’s goals. A strong foundation of trust helps organizations handle change and challenges with agility. Team members are more likely to support leaders they trust, knowing decisions will reflect their best interests. When you build trust intentionally, you strengthen teamwork and create a culture of integrity and ethics that spreads throughout the organization, driving long-term growth and success.
Strategic Trust involves creating a framework of coordinated efforts to build, sustain, and strengthen trust within individual relationships and across your organization. Remarkably, examples of strategic trust can often be found in the natural world, which offers us countless lessons. To begin our exploration of Strategic Trust, let’s start with an inspiring story about a flock of geese.
As you read this story, we’ll introduce the Trust Triangle, a fundamental framework for building healthy relationships, both personal and professional. We’ll explore the Trust Triangle in greater depth as we dig into our exploration of Strategic Trust.
Geese: Nature's Blueprint for Strategic Leadership
When observing a flock of geese flying in a V formation, each bird respects the wingspan of the others. As one bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the birds following behind. This mutual respect for distance enables the flock to achieve a flying range 71% greater than that of a bird flying solo.
When a goose leaves the formation, its connection with the group is lost. The lone goose immediately experiences drag and resistance but quickly benefits from the formation’s lift when it rejoins the group.
If the lead goose becomes tired, it rotates to the back of the formation, allowing another goose to take its place at the point. This rotation gives each bird the chance to demonstrate authentic leadership (we’ll explain this concept in more detail shortly). The change in position also allows the geese to shift roles within the V, further reinforcing their authentic leadership in each role.
You may have noticed the sound of conflict among geese in flight. Their honking serves two purposes: to encourage one another and to alert the flock of potential danger. Each honk is unique, but together their calls of conflict protect the formation on their long journey.
When a goose becomes sick or injured and drops out of formation, two other geese follow it to the ground. These companions remain with the wounded bird until it recovers or dies. They then rejoin the original flock or form a new one. This act of loyalty is a profound demonstration of the commitment and trust geese show toward one another.
What lessons can we take from geese? Here are a few key insights:
Thanks to their coordinated efforts, a flock of geese operates strategically, achieving remarkable efficiency and productivity. They can fly at heights of over thirty thousand feet, travel more than five thousand miles, and even cross the Himalayan Mountains. All of this is made possible through trust.
The cooperation of geese reveals two important principles: (1) Healthy, sustained relationships require effort, and (2) The key to building strong relationships is commitment—the choice to work together and stay together.
A simple flock of geese offers compelling proof that powerful relationships and unified teams create extraordinary results. But since we aren’t geese, how can we achieve this level of trust in our relationships?
As leaders, strategically cultivating and maintaining a high level of trust requires being intentional in your behavior towards others.
The importance of these actions has been categorized into what we call the Trust Triangle. In this model, respect forms the foundation of every relationship, while trust stands at the summit. Between these two cornerstones lie connection, authenticity, and conflict.
Strategic Trust and The Trust Triangle
Keep in mind that Strategic Trust requires a thoughtful plan, consistent actions, and being deliberate in our interactions. By observing geese in their natural habitat, we’re able to see a living example of the steps outlined in the Trust Triangle. This Triangle serves as a practical tool for achieving strategic trust in your relationships by guiding your approach.
Let’s take a closer look at each level:
Respect
We should keep in mind that the first step to successfully engaging others is respecting them; recognizing the importance of respect is crucial when cultivating trust in our relationships.
While it may seem that relationships naturally begin with trust, in reality, every relationship starts with a commitment to build and nurture it. Trust must be earned, and every relationship should begin with the conscious decision: "I choose to respect you as a human being." From this foundation of respect, genuine connections can form and flourish.
Connection
After Respect comes Connection, which involves mastering the art of forging meaningful and distinct bonds with others. Connection involves empathizing and engaging with people in ways that enrich their lives and your presence in them. To improve your ability to build effective connections, focus on refining this skill by practicing the following strategies with a variety of people in a variety of scenarios:
Focus on others and make them your priority.
Be intentional about dedicating time to others.
Demonstrate empathy by acknowledging their feelings.
Listen actively and ask thoughtful questions.
Use non-verbal cues, such as nodding and maintaining eye contact.
Find common ground and show interest in what matters to them.
Authenticity
The next level of the Trust Triangle is authenticity, which involves expressing yourself sincerely and openly while building relationships based on honesty and transparency. Authenticity strengthens relationships by establishing trust, creating an environment where people feel valued and heard. For leaders, this means maintaining transparency, consistency, and authenticity in all forms of communication and actions.
Conflict
Operating from a foundation of respect, connection, and authenticity enables us to approach conflict from a healthy and constructive advantage. The ability to navigate disagreements is not negative; rather, it is a positive and essential component of any team or relationship. Healthy conflict is essential for teams and relationships to thrive, grow, and succeed. It enables teams and individuals to address and resolve differences, encouraging growth and helping them achieve better outcomes.
Conflict provides a platform for expressing emotions, understanding diverse perspectives, and cultivating a sense of responsibility and ownership. It expands our thinking by exposing us to opinions, thoughts, and ideas we might not have considered. Within a team, conflict fosters diversity of thought, fuels innovation, and enhances overall effectiveness and efficiency.
A team that avoids healthy conflict is a team lacking trust. Likewise, a relationship that avoids conflict is one where trust has yet to be established. By engaging in healthy conflict, we create opportunities to build and strengthen trust, which is the ultimate goal of every relationship. As leaders, we have the potential to climb to the top of the Trust Triangle in each of our relationships. Let’s start the journey of creating a high level of trust by being strategic with our actions and exhibiting Strategic Trust.
Developing Strategic Trust as leaders involves a multifaceted approach that centers on transparency, consistency, and cultivating a culture of mutual respect and accountability.
“Trust sounds soft, but it may be one of the most important attributes that a leader can earn from others.”
Here are some best practices:
Lead by Example: Demonstrate trustworthiness through your actions. This means being transparent in decision-making, consistent in how you conduct yourself, and accountable when mistakes happen. When your team observes you modeling these behaviors, they are more likely to emulate them. By leading with integrity, you create a ripple effect that builds a culture of trust throughout the organization.
Promote Open Communication: Create an environment where communication flows openly and freely. This involves encouraging team members to voice their thoughts, provide honest feedback, and share concerns without fear of judgment. Actively listening and responding thoughtfully to their input demonstrates that you value their contributions. When communication is two-way, team members feel both heard and appreciated, which strengthens their trust in you as a leader.
Empower Your Team: Show trust in your team by giving them the autonomy to take ownership of their work. Delegate tasks and responsibilities in a way that aligns with their skills and aspirations. Empowering your team doesn’t mean abandoning them—it involves offering support when needed, providing resources, and celebrating their successes. This approach boosts morale, increases confidence, and encourages a sense of ownership and accountability.
Acknowledge and Reward: Recognize and reward behaviors that reinforce trust within the organization. This includes acts of integrity, such as admitting mistakes or being honest about challenges. Highlight transparency, collaboration, and efforts that promote team unity. For example, reward team members who show empathy during conflict, offer innovative solutions, or demonstrate consistent dependability. Public acknowledgment, whether through team meetings, awards, or personal notes of appreciation, reinforces the importance of these behaviors and encourages others to follow suit.
Maintain Consistent Values: Consistency is key when it comes to trust. Ensure that your organization’s values are clear and align with its mission, vision, and daily operations. Consistently applying these values—whether in decision-making, handling challenges, or celebrating successes—reassures team members that the organization is dependable and grounded in principles they can trust.
Build Personal Relationships: Strong relationships are the foundation of trust. Take the time to connect with your team members individually, learning about their goals, challenges, and motivations. Show genuine interest in their well-being and provide personalized support when necessary.
Encourage Healthy Conflict: Establish an environment where constructive conflict is valued and seen as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Healthy conflict enables team members to express differing perspectives and engage in open discussions that lead to creative solutions. Set clear guidelines to ensure disagreements remain respectful and productive, focusing on shared goals rather than personal differences.
Be Transparent in Both Success and Failure: Trust thrives on honesty, even when it’s difficult. Celebrate team successes openly to reinforce a sense of shared accomplishment, and don’t shy away from discussing failures. Being candid about setbacks while sharing lessons learned demonstrates humility, accountability, and a commitment to growth. This level of transparency encourages your team to embrace risks and view mistakes as learning opportunities.
Provide Consistent Feedback: Make it a habit to offer constructive, actionable feedback that helps team members develop while reinforcing their strengths. Equally important, invite feedback from your team to ensure open, two-way communication. This creates a balanced dynamic where expectations are clear, improvements are guided, and team members feel their voices are heard.
By integrating these practices into your leadership approach, you can develop and maintain Strategic Trust, leading to a more cohesive, motivated, and effective organization.
To push your understanding of Strategic Trust to the next level, explore these valuable resources. They’ll help expand your skills and provide essential tools for building strong leadership.
Respect is the starting point for trust. Here are two articles article summarizing many of the behaviors needed to exhibit respect in a relationship:
The 20 People Skills You Need To Succeed At Work (Jacquelyn Smith)
7 Key Habits For Building Better Relationships (Harvey Deutschendorf)
Can connection with others in the workplace be a predictor of good health? Yes, it can! Building connections with your team does not have to be rocket science, it can be done with some simple steps:
How to Build Workplace Connections That Help Us Succeed
Authentic leadership can be summarized by two powerful words:
The Essence of Authentic Leadership (Sean Georges, TEDx, 18:57)
Do you view your professional relationships on the basis of what you can give to others or what you can take from them? Adam Grant discusses givers, takers, and matchers in this popular Ted Talk: Are you a Giver or a Taker? (13:18)
If we consider building trust in a large organization from a 30,000 foot perspective, it might look very similar to these ten suggestions made by Liz Ryan in:
Ten Ways to Build Trust on Your Team & Patrick Lencioni in The Importance of Trust (5:36)