Leadership that Transforms & Delivers - Trust & Integrity

Transformational leaders tend to be more relationship focused than other leaders. They create a strong sense of trust among the people with whom they work. They not only talk about their vision, they enact it. They “walk the talk” by doing things that symbolize and model their vision. They are reliable and consistent in their actions. They stay on course, true to their purpose and ideals, reinforcing the idea that they can be trusted.

What is trust? Trust, according to Dr. Susan D Boon and Holmes, is “a positive expectation that another will not – through words, actions, or decisions – act opportunistically”. When you trust someone, you expect that they will not take advantage of you. This reinforces the idea that transformational leaders act and inspire others to act for the ‘greater good’ rather than merely in pursuit of their own individual gains and rewards.
Diego Gambetta says trust is an “internal judgment which may be inferred from external action”. So how do leaders evoke trust?

James Kouzes and Barry Posner offer five key dimensions that underlie the concept and experience of trust: integrity, competence, consistency, loyalty and openness.

Recently, I was on a conference call with the leadership team of the Black Professional Coaches Alliance. We spoke about integrity and what it meant to us. In its simplest form, I said that integrity is telling the truth, doing what you say you’ll do, being reliable. On a grander scale, it’s living consistent with your own internal value system, your core principles and ideals. Transformational leaders have clearly articulated and strongly felt values that guide their actions – that keep them in integrity with themselves, allowing them to be fully transparent to the people around them.

Leaders must demonstrate a level of technical and interpersonal competence, knowledge and skill. They don’t need to know everything, but they must possess enough wisdom that people respect and are willing to follow them. People must have confidence that the leader will be able to do what he or she promises and will deliver on commitments made.

Consistency relates to a leader’s reliability, predictability and good judgment. If there are regular discrepancies between a leader’s words and actions, credibility will be lost. The phrase “Do as I say, not as I do” is the antithesis of transformational leadership.

Loyalty is the willingness to protect and save face for another person. It speaks to the concern transformational leaders show for the people they lead. It reflects an elevation of the needs of others as they pursue the organizations goals. When someone has demonstrated great loyalty, it inspires others to reciprocate and take actions or risks they might otherwise have avoided.

Openness is the propensity for full disclosure, being vulnerable, with no hidden agendas. When it appears that all cards to be on the table, people feel secure and comfortable that they can reasonably predict future events. They aren’t working in a vacuum, or feeling uncertain about the environment in which they are operating.

How do you build trust? Fernando Bartolome and I offer some suggestions.
Practice openness – inform people about decisions you make and the criteria you use to make them. Disclose relevant information.

Share your feelings – let people see that you’re ‘human’. You don’t have to act out your feelings, but saying “I’m really angry or frustrated” will let people stay connected with you while you work through your issues.

Tell the truth – nothing damages trust more than being lied to.
Deliver on your promises – do what it takes to make your commitments happen when you say they will. As soon as you realize they might not happen, make a new agreement rather than hoping no one will notice.

Be fair and consistent in your treatment of others – favoritism alienates and puts people working at cross-purposes. Inconsistent behavior causes confusion and wasted energy as people try to figure out how you’ll respond this time.

Trust others yourself – Believe in people. Expect them to ‘do the right thing’. See people as capable, willing and committed. Remember the Pygmalion principle. People rise or fall according to your beliefs in them.