It took me a few years to understand the link between trust and communication in building strong teams. Coming from a military background, in my first year of leadership, I thought communication was about giving orders. And If my subordinates Did not understand the orders, they needed to listen more attentively.
Leaders must deliver effective communication to build trust with their team. The eight pillars of trust should be used as a guide to communicate and connect with others to establish and maintain trust. Ambiguous communication will lead to distrust from the team and a poor reputation as a leader.
Every leader should Understand and implement Different ways of communication to build trust with their team. This article will discuss the different pillars of trust, how communication impacts trust, and ways to communicate to build and maintain trust as a leader.
The eight pillars of trust include clarity, compassion, and character, which are portrayed in how you communicate with others. Prove yourself with the pillars of competency and commitment. And finally, building a connection and consistently contributing to the team is vital for trust.
The following eight pillars of trust are essential to becoming a trusted leader:
Clarity
Commitment
Compassion
Connection
Character
Contribution
Competency
Consistency
As with anything you build, there must be a foundation and structure. And creating a culture of trust with your team as a leader is no different. How you communicate and incorporate the eight pillars of trust will tremendously impact how you’re viewed as a leader.
It’s all about understanding each individual’s needs and wants when you’re leading and managing a group. And these eight pillars will give you the tools to do so.
Always Communicate With Clarity
One of the most significant issues in a workplace is the need for more clarity And specificity From the leader. Failing to deliver your message clearly and directly will lead to Misunderstandings and later mistrust. Your team wants to know the exact expectations, purpose, or mission.
One of the most significant issues in a workplace is the need for more clarity And specificity From the leader. Failing to deliver your message clearly and directly will lead to Misunderstandings and later mistrust. Your team wants to know the exact expectations, purpose, or mission.
One great example of communicating with clarity is by using numbers. A few years ago, after a long day out on the field practicing mine clearance, we returned to the base, debriefed, and asked ourselves what went wrong.
Almost everybody said they had difficulty focusing because of a poor last night’s sleep; this surprised me as a leader since, during the morning brief, everybody said they were okay. That’s when it hit me; okay, and good isn’t specific and clear enough to be useful.
“Okay” and “Good” are not specific enough to be useful.
I needed to change how we communicated so we could understand each other better. Together, we decided to ban the words good and okay. And instead, only use descriptive words, Such as tired, focused, Etcetera.
This, combined with a value from 1 to 10, gave a clear indicator of mood and energy trends.
Leaders who effectively communicate with clarity build trust and rapport with those around them.
Show Compassion and Empathy
Being a military recruit can be very confusing. One second, the commanders are yelling at you to the point of starting to cry, the next, you are number one in line to get food, and all the officers are waiting at the back. Leaders eat last.
Leaders eat last.
As a leader, you must put yourself second and others first—meaning, show appreciation and listen to your team’s concerns and suggestions. A caring presence helps prove to your team that you’re there for them, reassuring themand showing them you’re approachable when they need you.
Genuine compassion is about doing what you think is the best for your people in the long run, not what gives comfort in the short term.
A compassionate and empathetic leader will have a powerful impact on building trust with those around you.
3. Be Inspirational
Character is the foundation of leadership. With it, leaders can build a team with trust, sustain success, and achieve their vision. Throughout history, leaders have used character to build trust, inspire confidence and create a vision others can follow.
The following are excellent ways to use character to build trust:
Use open body language to show you are interested in them.
Use a relaxed tone of voice, slow enough to be easily understood but not so slow that it sounds boring.
Speak slowly and clearly, and look at the person who is listening.
Make eye contact at the beginning and end of each sentence.
Use short, clear sentences (10-15 words) and short paragraphs (two to three sentences).
Using character when communicating helps people see you as a real person and not just a lead, supervisor, or boss.
4. Show You’re a Competent Leader
Competency is essential in both communication and actions. To build and maintain trust in your workspace, you must show your team you can lead and manage, whether through a typical workday or during an emergent situation like a crisis.
You are what you do, not what you say.
To be a competent leader, you must possess many essential skills that involve managing yourself and your team members. And some of these skills include decision-making, managing behavior and emotions, and coaching.
To be clear, it doesn’t matter if you are the best leader in the world if you are not showing that to your people. You are what you do, not what you say.
5. Commit To Your Team and Decisions
Leaders are responsible for creating a culture of trust with their teams. This can be done by communicating effectively, being consistent, and showing commitment to their team. Leaders must commit to their team by taking an active role in decision-making and resolving issues.
By proving you’re invested in your team and following through with your decisions, you will gain their trust, and they will invest in you as a leader.
6. Establish a Connection With Others
Your leadership title means nothing if you cannot connect with your team. Many leaders fail to connect and invest in their team, which leads to distrust, less productivity, and lower quality work from those on the team.
Here are some questions you can use to determine whether or not you are connected with your team:
How often do you interact with the individuals on your team outside of office hours?
Have you met your teammates’ family members?
What is their inner drive to show up for work?
When was the last time you did something for them without them asking?
Connecting with your team members entails being present, personable, and approachable. Showing compassion and empathy.
7. Contribution Is Delivering on Promises
As a leader, your words mean little without action, so it is up to you to contribute to keeping the team successful in productivity and quality.
To build trust with your team, you must deliver results with your words. Create clear and realistic goals and follow through on your decisions and commitments. Be accountable and produce valuable results to back up your goals and vision.
If you need to choose between honoring your word and hitting team goals, then keeping your promises will be the best solution in the long term. Nothing erodes trust more than broken interpersonal promises.
Once you prove your leadership value, trust from others will follow.
8. Consistency in Your Actions Is Key
A crucial step in building trust is consistently delivering on your words and actions. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “trust takes years to build but only seconds to ruin.”
Trust takes years to build, but only seconds to ruin.
Trust doesn’t have to take years to build. That’s why I created the forge unbreakable trust program. But I definitely agree that trust can be destroyed by a few bad decisions (or lack thereof).
While all eight pillars are essential to building trust, trust can be easily lost without consistency and will not go unnoticed. Being consistent is crucial because it shows that you follow through on your commitments when leading your team.
Consistency also shows that you value what is essential to the other person.
This means that if you want your employees to trust you, You must act in a way they can predict, and your actions must contribute to their goals and desires.
There is a synergy to be reached when the task, the leader, and the team are perfectly balanced, and most leaders don’t understand this. They focus too much on hard skills such as tech and processes and too little on trust building.
Trust is one of the main predictors of performance in business teams!
Trust is one of the main predictors of performance in business teams!
So if you are not Intentionally building trust on your team, you are not doing your job as a team leader! Whether you like it or not, every interaction with your team will either build or erode trust.
Communication is vital for any relationship, and leaders must communicate effectively to build trust.
Leaders must be able to clearly articulate their vision and goals and listen to their team’s ideas and concerns. Excellent communication also involves being open and honest with employees and giving them feedback promptly. By doing so, leaders can create an atmosphere of trust that will help foster a productive work environment.
Additionally, leaders need to be aware of how their team interprets their words and actions; if they are not careful, they can inadvertently create mistrust or confusion.
Finally, leaders should strive to keep communication lines open between themselves and their team members by regularly checking in with them and encouraging two-way dialogue.
Conclusion
Leaders who communicate well with their team members will build trust and increase productivity. Communication can be used to build trust by using compassion, empathy, and connecting with the team. An effective leader must also be willing to listen to the suggestions and concerns of the group.
Communication can have a powerful effect on how those in the workplace trust and respect you; once it’s lost, it’s challenging to regain.
Gabo is the founder of Sancus Leadership; he´s half Swedish, half Spanish, and an Army Officer with 12 years of experience. His leadership has been tested in many different situations, including as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team leader on multiple deployments, instructor and teacher, sports coach, HR manager, logistics manager, and business owner/online entrepreneur.
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