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Trust is foundational to effective leadership.  Trust enables you to get things done; without trust, there is no followership.  Trust combats fear, which drives disengagement and lack of productivity. Trust enables innovation and breakthrough ideas that come from diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Trust minimizes risk by empowering people to bring problems to light faster, learn from their mistakes, and bring potential solutions to the table.  When you trust your employees, you empower them to own their success. When they own their success, they can better push through adversity, take responsibility for their performance and results, and enhance their own leadership skills.

Have you ever heard of the Trust Equation?  I first encountered the Trust Equation when I read the book The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, Charles Green and Robert Galford.  The Trust Equation states that an individual’s trustworthiness is equal to their credibility, reliability and intimacy, all divided by their level of self-orientation.  It is probably my favorite model of trust as it is simple, relatable, and provides clear guidance on how to become more trustworthy.

Components of the Trust Equation

Credibility involves our knowledge, skills and abilities.  Are we knowledgeable about our subject?  Can we back up our words with underlying knowledge and experience?  We can increase our credibility by enhancing our expertise and being open and honest about our expertise and its limits.

Reliability pertains to our actions. Can we be depended on? Do we do what we said we would do, when we said we would do it, and to the quality we promised?  We can boost our reliability by consistently delivering on our promises or by being better at saying no and only committing to what we can realistically deliver.

Intimacy is about how secure we feel in sharing personal information, particularly about our doubts and insecurities.  We can increase our level of intimacy with others by sharing details about our personal lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. Expressing vulnerability and being open about who we are helps build intimacy with others.

Self-orientation refers to how much we align our interests with those of others. Highly self-oriented people are hard to trust as they are more interested in themselves than those they are working with. At work, we can seek goal and objective alignment, where individual self-interest meets collective interest for a greater outcome.  Personal development can also help us understand that helping others is closely correlated with personal happiness and wellbeing.

Applying the Trust Equation

Without trust, there is no leadership.  Trust is earned every day through every word and action. By focusing on increasing credibility, reliability, and intimacy while minimizing self-orientation, you can enhance your trustworthiness and, consequently, your effectiveness as a leader. Just do the math and see how the Trust Equation can transform your leadership style and team dynamics.

Thanks for stopping by.  We hope you found at least one little nugget you are taking away with you.  What will you do to bring it into full living color?

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