How do you become a great leader? Well, the question seems to be an easy one with many skills in it: you should be communicative, listen to people, care and support, you should have this or that skill in this exact sphere etc. However, one thing that you may skip in listing is you being trustworthy. We do usually forget about it, because all of think that people should surely trust us.
However, if you go deeper, you will see that this question doesn’t have an easy answer and while you are thinking about that we will go on telling why it is so important to be trustworthy.
You can reach 2 kinds of so called trust from your employees: this is either trust to your professional skills or you as a person. The skills such as being professional, knowledgeable, experienced etc., can be a great base for trusting you in a professional level. That is to say your employees will be sure that you are the best in the sphere and will try to do the best of their efforts to stay in your company.
However, imagine yourself being not trustworthy as a person. Here are some of things we advise you NOT to do, to earn the trust towards your Self.
- Don’t pay attention to your team
If you are the boss, the leader, someone who is even up with one level, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to what your team says or does. Well, we understand that you are a genius in your sphere and you are the boss, however not answering to “Hello”-s of your employees, not looking at them, or not smiling is something that makes you a worse leader. How would people trust you as a person, if they don’t even know who is hidden inside that genius mind?
- Don’t show your empathy
Well, continuing the list, if you don’t want people to know who is hidden inside you, then you can go on with not showing any empathy. However, you should take into account that people like to be noticed and appreciated. If you feel like this or that employee is doing the job better, be kind enough to say about that. People tend to work better when they feel that they are appreciated and that their hard work is paying off. Having said that, people do tend to trust when they see they are appreciated.
- Don’t believe in people
If you are continually repeating that your employees won’t reach anything or that you are mistaken to hire them or that they are unable to do anything, then you should stop here. Even if some of your plans were ruined because of the bad job of your employees, you should know that true leaders tend to find the good in every situation. Instead of blaming, start showing that you are believing those people to implement this or that task. Show them that you believe they will meet your expectations. This is how they will see your trust towards them and will start trusting you as well. After all, you believe them and are supporting even in their mistakes.
- Continue rejecting that you are not trustworthy
Well, not to everyone this point refers to. However, to ones who have read the previous 3 points and found some common things with themselves, this may refer to you. Rejecting makes it even worse. It is always better to admit and start working and developing the qualities that you lack, then to reject and stay the same person. The one, from which people are afraid and would never trust a thing to. You always have the choice to decide which way you want to go. Either you are becoming a boss or a leader. And, yes, we agree that becoming a leader is way more difficult, but we also know that you are strong enough. So, good luck!
