420: A Leader's Complete Guide to Building Trust at Every Level

Trust is the foundation of every thriving team, but how do you, as a leader, build and sustain it? In today’s episode, Dr. Rob McKenna, CEO of WiLD Leaders, shares actionable strategies and insights to help you strengthen trust within your team and lead with grace, resilience, and intentionality.

Listen to the Audio

Listen in Apple Podcasts | Listen in Spotify  | Listen in YouTube Music

In this episode:

Definition of Trust:

• Trust is measurable and relational, similar to the chemistry of oxygen—requires specific components. (04:43)
• Trust is multifaceted, involving integrity, ability, reliability, strength, and transparency. (05:29)

Levels of Trust:

• Personal: Individual accountability and self-awareness as foundational. (06:57)
• Team: Relational dynamics; mutual understanding builds trust within groups. (07:01)
• Organizational: Structural elements (e.g., job descriptions, clarity) influence trust at this level. (07:04)

Building Trust

• Trust isn't built by talking about it but by focusing on key "chemistry factors" that develop it. (08:03)
• Transparency is crucial; hidden or veiled information increases distrust. (08:27)
• Trust is a developmental process, starting with shallow interactions and progressing deeper over time. (09:03)

Challenges and Misconceptions

• Leaders often misunderstand trust as an emotional reaction rather than something actionable and measurable. (12:35)
• Organizational trust differs from individual trust and involves a broader mix of structural and cultural elements. (13:04)

Practical Insights

• Measuring trust at all levels provides clarity and actionable insights for leaders. (13:43)
• Leaders need to balance personal development and organizational structures to foster trust effectively. (13:54)

Trust in Organizations

• Complexity of Trust:
  • Trust at an organizational level involves multiple factors, beyond personal trust. (14:07)
• WiLD Trust Index:
  • Provides a net trust score for organizations. (14:49)
  • Complements the BCW culture assessment, serving shared purposes. (14:57)

Four Quadrants of Organizational Trust

• Stronghold of Trust:
  • High team trust and high organizational trust. (16:09)
  • Represents an ideal state of trust. (16:15)
• Shell of Trust:
  • High organizational trust, but lower team trust. (16:24)
  • Organizational structures are strong, but team dynamics may lack trust. (16:31)
• Islands of Trust:
  • High team trust, but low organizational trust. (16:43)
  • Trust exists in siloed teams but not across the organization. (16:48)
• Jungle of Trust:
  • Both team trust and organizational trust are low. (17:06)
  • Characterized by chaos and difficulty in navigation. (17:12)
  • Finding: 50% of people surveyed are in the jungle, though many are near the threshold for improvement. (17:40)

Research Findings on Trust Drivers

• Encouraging Trends:
  • Higher-than-expected trust in senior leaders across industries. (20:18)
  • Trust increases with clarity on organizational direction and alignment with individual roles. (20:36)
• Challenges Identified:
  
  • Struggles with effective communication and conflict resolution ("fighting well"). (21:20)
  • Lack of clarity in job roles. (21:37)

• • Employees often feel they support others but don’t feel supported in return, indicating potential bias or misperception. (22:04)

Developing Trust and Leadership

• Key Leadership Attributes:
  • Compassion and genuine care for employees build trust. (22:51)
  • Effective leaders link trust-building efforts to strategic organizational needs. (23:14)
• Leadership Transformation Example:
  • A once-skeptical leader became an advocate for learning and development after recognizing its connection to team performance and well-being. (24:25)

Organizational Development Strategies

• Discovery Process:
  • Identifying the strategic moment an organization is facing is crucial. (25:31)
  • Connecting trust and leadership development to strategic goals ensures meaningful outcomes.(25:42)

Key Traits of Trust-Building Leaders

• Editable Mindset:
  • Leaders must have a willingness to self-reflect and make changes, even in deeply ingrained behaviors or character traits. (28:14)
  • This readiness to learn and develop is more impactful than mere "buy-in" or participation. (28:28)
  • Transparent self-disclosure of personal growth areas fosters trust and emotional maturity. (29:07)
  • Leaders must balance being both clear and caring, combining compassion with conviction. (29:27)

Role of Assessment in Building Trust

• Regular culture assessments encourage self-awareness and initiate changes that improve organizational trust and health. (31:20)
• Assessing culture and trust acts as both a diagnostic and developmental tool. (31:27)

Differences in Trust Across Organizational Types

• Faith-Based Organizations:
  • Often emphasize being grace-filled, caring deeply for people. (32:32)
  • May lack clarity in organizational practices, leading to challenges in trust-building. (32:50)
• Marketplace Organizations:
  • Tend to have stronger management structures and clear goals but may lack natural interpersonal connection. (33:07)
• Universal Truths:
  • Flourishing organizations require a balance of grace and truth, care and clarity, regardless of their type. (33:33)

Trust as a Two-Way Relationship

• Leaders must trust their team members to take ownership of their work while employees need to trust their leaders for guidance and support. (35:42)
• Delegation with clear expectations strengthens trust and allows employees to thrive. (36:00)

Empowerment vs. Control

• Leadership Paradox:
  • Leaders must navigate the tension between empowering employees and maintaining necessary control systems. (36:48)
  • Trust is fostered through systems that provide clarity (e.g., job descriptions, clear goals) and autonomy (e.g., empowerment and accountability). (38:03)
• Empowerment in Practice:
  • Empowered employees are engaged and motivated, but only when their roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. (38:49)
  • Continuous conversations that link personal development with job performance are crucial. (39:29)

Challenges in Maintaining and Regaining Trust

• Trust Fragility:
  • Even solid trust foundations can be broken quickly. (40:06)
  • Breaches of trust require intentional efforts to repair. (40:16)
• Steps to Regain Trust:
  • Acknowledge the breach transparently. (41:42)
  • Engage in ongoing conversations to rebuild the trust equation through clarity, care, and accountability. (42:45)

Underlying Principles for a Trust-Driven Culture

• Strong management structures that integrate clarity, accountability, and personal development foster high trust. (42:39)
• Trust grows over time through consistent practices but requires constant reinforcement to prevent breakdowns. (43:15)

Insights on Trust-Building Strategies:

• Appreciative Inquiry:

  • Focus groups are useful in identifying moments of high trust and incidents where trust was broken. (43:37)
  • Leaders acknowledging past mistakes can be a significant trust-building activity. (44:26)

• Leadership Traits for Trust:

  • Emotional maturity involves being steadfast yet open to growth and learning. (45:21)
  • Effective leaders exhibit composure, fostering a calming and trustworthy presence. (45:36)

• • Balance is key—leaders shouldn't default to extremes, such as being overly accommodating or rigidly truthful. (46:35)

• Remote and Hybrid Work Environments:

  • Avoid blaming technology for trust challenges; instead, focus on intentional connection. (47:24)
  • Remote work can increase efficiency and reduce emotional labor, contributing to trust. (48:48)
  • Strategies for remote/hybrid teams:
    • Encourage video use (when feasible) for better connection. (49:12)
    • Establish regular rhythms for team meetings with clear accountability and measures of success. (49:45)
    • Dedicate time in meetings to personal sharing, enhancing relational trust. (50:09)

Conceptual Framework for Trust:

• Trust is foundational, defined by integrity, ability, reliability, truth, and transparency. (51:02)
• Measurement tools, like the trust index, help diagnose and improve trust levels, distinguishing between:
  • Team trust and organizational trust. (51:34)
  • Trust typologies such as "islands of trust," "jungle of trust," and "stronghold of trust." (51:39)
• Trust in organizations involves a balance of empowerment and control, supported by systems for clarity. (52:41)

Key Takeaways on Trust:

• Leaders and organizations are called to balance building structures and nurturing relationships, likened to being "builders and gardeners." (53:04)
• Trust combines the relational and task-oriented aspects of leadership. (53:23)
• Trust connects belief to action, enabling teams and organizations to flourish and grow through intentional relationships and systems. (53:40)
• It is both measurable and actionable, with assessments serving as the starting point for development. (53:57)

Read the Transcript

Read a complete, word-for-word transcript of the episode

FOLLOW OUR HOST

Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn & Twitter.

Email our host at al@workplaces.org