Page Title

Trust

September 17, 2001

"Trust is the glue that binds people together in groups.  Whenever followers are asked what they require of leaders, trust is almost always at the top of the list.  But leaders can't provide trust directly to followers.  The hitch is that trust is an outcome of leadership actions and behavior: Hence, leaders can't do trust.

Fortunately, it is no deep secret what leaders need to do indirectly to foster a climate of trust.  When leaders are candid, open, consistent, and predictable in their dealings with followers, the result will almost always be a condition of trust.  Fundamentally, trust is the consequence of honesty and truth telling.  It follows that leaders who tell the truth will, ipso facto, tell everyone the same thing.  This constancy allows followers to act with the assurance that the rules of the game won't suddenly change and that they will not be treated arbitrarily.  Given that assurance, followers become more willing to stick their necks out, make an extra effort, and put themselves on the line to help leaders achieve organizational goals (O'Toole, 1999, p.291)."

Reference:  O'Toole, J. (1999).  Leadership a to z: A guide for the appropriately ambitious.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

What are you doing to foster a climate of trust?

* Leadership A to Z is available on loan at the OSU Leadership Center.  A listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

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Created: 2009-01-02, Updated: 2009-01-14