Trust: an integral contributor of managerial success.

For millions of years, the human species has been driven by a need to be psychologically "in touch" with others. Human beings have always been and will continue to be social creatures. In historical times, the need was driven by mere survival. Groups banded

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Typically the strongest and most intelligent, the leaders were responsible for the welfare of their followers. Often, a contentious adolescent might attempt to challenge the leader for the status and power associated with being the group's leader. Such struggles for position very seldom lead to physical confrontations; more generally, whomever had the most followers was accepted to lead the group.

To make our point a little more clear, the relationships all leaders develop with their followers are a powerful variable affecting their success, and more importantly, the effectiveness of the followers (i.e., team, department). In fact, while many leadership gurus have defined leadership in terms of personalities, follower perceptions, influence on tasks/goals (and the list goes on), we prefer to define leadership in terms of a cooperative, positive relationship with their followers.

Demystifying the Mysteries of Trust

Perhaps no other component affects the working relationships as much as trust. It is frequently referred to as the lubricant that makes relationships work. In its absence, paranoia often runs rampant. Lack of trust tears at the very fibers of creativity, feeling valued as an employee and the commitment to produce at the 110% level. The workplace is definitely not fun. It's simply a place to do what you are paid to do and no more.

It is no secret the volatile corporate world of downsizing, mergers and organizational restructuring have shattered employee security, confidence and company loyalty. For example, we've worked with several CEOs who talked in terms of empowering their work force. However, when they realized the realities of moving the decision-making down-line, it was clear the CEOs could not support this strategy. Obviously, considerable damage was inflicted to the leadership's credibility by communicating a desire to empower the work force while secretly attempting to control the decision-making process.