When I look at public leadership what I see is dismal.
I’m reminded of it as I revisit an article Jay Cost wrote in the Wall Street Journal, The Politics of Distrust (10/17/15). I am reminded of it every time I watch a business executive address a Town Hall meeting, every time I catch a politician make a public statement in front of a camera, every time a sales person seeks to engage me. I watch, I listen, and I do a gut check:
Can I trust you?
I think about you and me. Our spheres of influence. Our everyday interactions with folks. Colleagues, clients, friends. Our laboratory for everyday leadership.
Can they trust us?
Let’s assume competence, for a moment. Let’s assume we honor our commitments.
Beyond the 2 c’s, it boils down to consistent behaviors that embody our character, doesn’t it? Behaviors that unambiguously signal that we can be trusted. These signals are transmitted in nanoseconds. Here’s the tricky part. The specific behaviors can be learned. They will, however, always inhibit trust the moment they become rehearsed or faked.
Fake it ‘til you feel it doesn’t work when we seek to build trust.
Here are 4 of those behavioral signals. I think of them as Everyday Trust Builders.
Related: 7 Ways to Create 'The Year of More Connection'
We don’t remember our Everyday Trust Builders only on a good day. We remember them on a tiring day, on a frustrating day, on the occasional day from hell. Yes, every day.
The more we remember, the sweeter our interactions become.
The day from hell becomes a sweeter day from hell.
The shift happens nanosecond by nanosecond. We just need to remember.
Make 2018 the year when you remember.
Trust will unfold in delectable ways.