Trust-based Leadership

It's kinda weird that I've been carrying on this leadership style for so long that it is only now that I even attempt to write about it. I dare not say that the other topics previously posted were more important - definitely not - but then its just probably because I never really thought about writing about it.

Ok. So much for the useless blurb.

Trust based leadership in a nutshell, is a way of managing and leading people based entirely on trust. Prior to any action on both the part of the manager and the employee, trust should first be given to the other. There is no need to prove or earn trust in the beginning - it's just there. TBL (just to shorten the whole thing) starts off with Trusting and not trying to prove that the other is trustworthy. Why so? Because trusting someone without need for justification is the purest form of trust. We all start with the assumption that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. =)

So now what?

From a managers perspective, he/she should always make decisions on the basis that a person can always be trusted. He should trust the resource to deliver when needed. He should trust his team that they will work in the best and most efficient manner possible. Doing so lessens the burden on the manager to micro manage his staff and double check on the work more than what is probably required.

From the employees' perspective, he should trust his manager to provide everything that he needs to ensure that the work is accomplished as required. He should trust his manager to provide for his needs based on the managers level of authority.

This mutual trusting brings forth a mutual co-dependency that further forces both parties to actually perform (rather than perform counter-productive activities that only deteriorate the quality of work delivered by both groups). It is therefore very important to that we convey the message of trust to our teams and managers.

Trust is the foundation for all relationships - managers to employees included.

This may all sound too simplistic - and that's because it really is that simple. Start trusting and Stop doubting.