Earning trust, confidence as a leader

without trust and confidence. Leadership is a trust and confidence issue, confidence in the leader’s ability to deliver, in the leader’s judgment character, integrity and personality.
Leadership also entails trust in the leader’s secretive desires, vision, intentions and words.
When people vote for or appoint a leader, what they are saying is that, “We are giving you our dream, we will be asleep and not watching you and we trust that you will make them true and have confidence that you have the capacity to do it”.
When people say leadership has failed, what they mean is that it has failed to deliver expectations; in essence, their trust and confidence has been broken.
As a leader, you need these two, when people have faith in you, your leadership is made easy.
If you desire to be a successful and effective leader, the people you lead must trust your decisions and have confidence in your ethics and values as a leader.
They should also trust your leadership ability and not your marketing, technical, mathematical or accounting abilities.
There has to be the justification that you deserve or are worthy of the authority and power they bestow on you.
When something happens and leaders are dethroned, in essence what people are saying is that, you have failed, you have violated our trust, you have taken the confidence we have in you for granted, hence you are not worthy of the authority.
The first assignment of every emerging leader therefore is to seek and earn the trust and confidence of those they aspire to lead.
It is difficult to influence people who do not trust you, people who scrutinise every word you say with suspicion, people who get sceptical about your every ambition and those who always look for your real intention after you have mentioned what you think of them.
It takes hard work to lead in area of limited trust. I was once invited to address employees of a particular company, because of my youthfulness, one gentleman walked up to me and said their management had invited this gentleman Mr Nyasha to convince them there was no money so that management at that company can justify denying them an increase.
When the gentleman talked to me he was not aware of my identity and that I was the person that he was referring to and later when I was addressing them and he realised that I was Mr Nyasha, he stormed out of the conference room.
Lack of trust can create conflict even in situations that are real. For sure, the organisation was struggling financially but it was difficult to convince the staff because of their prior experience with their leadership.
What I know and have experienced as a leader is that where there is trust and confidence, people understand and can even work for no payment.
Such trust is possible, it can be cultivated. There has to be open communication, leadership should set the record straight and communicate the real circumstances of the organisation, institution or even at national level.
People store information cumulatively and they keep record. Many people can forgive but they cannot forget.
After a few instances of unethical practices, unfair practice, favouritism and nepotism among other anti-leadership practices, people will not trust you.
This is when you realise, for example, a beautiful lady gets an appointment and it becomes difficult for people within to admit she is qualified for the job.
When a leader who is not trusted says a thing, people do a background search. When a leader who has lost the people’s confidence shares an ambitious plan, people doubt them, expect failure and the plan ultimately fails.
Where there is no confidence and trust there is not inspiration. Where there is no inspiration there is no motivation.
Where there is no motivation there is no energy. Where there is no energy there is no pro-activity.
Where there is no pro-activity there is no creativity. Where there is no creativity there is no advance.
Where there is no advance there is stagnation or retrogression. Where there is retrogression there is failure.
As a leader, pursue ethical practice. Do the acceptable, treat your people with respect.
Trust them so they can trust you. Deliver your promises. Always be fair. Stick to the policies and acts that govern the workplace yourself.
No one is above the law or employee above the company policy from CEO to the least person.
To achieve trust and confidence, act with integrity, be trustworthy, do not act corruptly, pursue justice, tell the truth, keep your word, pursue sound morals and refrain from favouritism and nepotism.
Hope you were inspired to be an honest leader, a leader people can trust, a leader people can have confidence in.
See you next week as we explore and make your way to effective leadership. Become the best leader you know. Be the best. Just be the best!
l Pascal Nyasha is a motivational speaker and leadership coach. He is the author of the inspirational book, “Reaching New Horizons”, and founder of the Leadership Institute. Call: 0773 003 912 or email: [email protected]. Connect with Pascal on Facebook.