To gain trust from people
Tags: Leadership

To gain trust from people

It is deeply linked to grow leadership.

The message of this morning is to gain trust from people. The first thought was it is actually not an easy task, but I have taken it for granted. I usually trust people’s good mind almost automatically and have tendency not to give up the last piece of good nature from people. Therefore, I assumed (a dangerous thing) that people would trust me as much as I do. However, as starting a new role at work, I began to think how I can get trust from new team members. This is a new serious question I never had. Maybe it is because my position will be changed. From now on, the battle at work is not only how well I analyze and present the work, but also how influentially I show my leadership.

Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash

Leadership would not be a familiar topic for many people especially from my mother country in Asia. Still now after living more than 10 years in the U.S.A., no clear definition about the leadership is established in my mind. I cannot explain what leadership is and how to practice it. So this is a good topic to contemplate on this morning as I know I will move forward in my career further and I will lead a powerful team. I could have achieved more and faster in life if I had replaced my follower mindset to a leader mindset. So let’s talk about the leadership.

First, leadership is deeply related to having a vision. Clearly defining the goal gives people power to lead people. As somebody told me before, if you do not have a vision in your life, you will live for other people’s visions. Now, I think that having a clear picture of where I want to go is the first step of claiming your leadership. Knowing the ideal destination of your project is like having a light in a dark forest simply because you know which direction you need to move on. And you can tell people to follow your direction, if they want to. This kind of leadership is not because he/she has official power over people, but because he/she knows where to go.

Second, leadership is being an example. When your action matches what you say, your words become powerful. If people find inconsistency between your verbal descriptions of tomorrow and the actual actions of today, you will lose the trust from people. Being an example is sticking to your words, if you put the words outside. Even if you have to change strategies to reach the goal, you can still show the consistency to the main direction and persistence to the principles.

Third, leadership is willingness to take responsibility with your decision. When you make up your mind that you will be accountable during the journey to the destination, people will start walking in the same direction with you. Just like you know you are responsible for the kids’ action when you ask your kids to do something. It would be the same at work. If you are in the position of leadership, you are responsible of the team outcome. You will be liable to the contents and quality of the final product. Willingness to take responsibility gives you a power to move on.

Fourth, leadership is touching people’s mind. It is to open your mind, expand your boundary and embrace people. Think about whom you want to follow between a person who touches your heart or a person who commands you. Maybe the final product would be the same (or similar), but the personal experiences and learning that people will gain during the journey cannot be the same. They will be totally different.

Fifth, leadership is to know who you are and where you are. To accept people will not only requires empathy capability but also demands mental strength coming from knowing who you are. If you do not stand on ground based on your principles, you will be swayed by people. And in the worse case, you even do not recognize that you are pushed away from your own way. Keeping your space strong and safe starts from understanding your place and environments.

In conclusion, leadership is not equal to trust. But trust must be a part of true leadership. I believe true leaders appreciate people around them. It is because they know that people are next to them based on their own decisions to achieve a common goal and people are free not to be with them. And as always, I wish we also think about how much leadership we exercise with our own mind.