The Role of Trust in Leadership and Change

Studies show that trust fosters open communication, encourages risk-taking & innovation. It involves not only trusting the leader's competence, but also their integrity & commitment to the common good. As trust is built, a leader's influence expands as more people are open to their ideas and willing to offer support. Effective leaders generate trust not only in themselves but across the entire organization, enabling the whole system to navigate change. Below I share a simple & powerful practice I have used for 15 years now!

How do you build trust?

The key to trust is relationship building, and strategic one-on-one meetings serve as a powerful tool for this. These meetings provide undivided attention between two individuals, fostering a deeper understanding & commitment. While we all built relationships and had one-on-one meetings, there is a simple yet well-researched & proven model that can turn you into a trust-building expert.

The Three Pillars of Trust-Building 1 on 1 Meeting

☝️ Interest: First, generate interest to secure a meeting. You may need to get creative with unfamiliar contacts, mentioning a mutual friend, shared interest, etc. This can be done via email, messaging, in person. Always state your intentions, whether it's to build rapport, discuss opportunities, etc.

🗺️ Exploration: When in the meeting, instead of diving into business matters, spend time learning about each other's journeys, interests, aspirations. Consider asking questions like: What's your story? How did you end up in this organization? What sparked your interest in XYZ? Listen carefully to identify new resources & connections that could lead to commitment. Remember to share about yourself as well! It's not an interview, it's a conversation.

✔️ Commitment: Conclude the meeting with a clear commitment, however small. Perhaps you will send them an article or book title about something in which they expressed interest, or you might connect them with another person. Follow-throughs cement trust!

How to choose strategic 1 on 1s

Whenever I start a new project or join a new team, I strategically select 5-10 people to talk to. Here are questions that help me select people:

🤔 Who influences my day-to-day work? (colleagues, boss, client, team member)

🎓 Who can I learn from? (experienced colleague, expert in a field, local)

🤝 Who is well-connected, so they can introduce me to others I should talk to?

🙌 Who is that person that people respect and listen to in my organization?

Preparing for a Productive One-on-One

To maximize the potential of your meetings:

📑 Research their background for commonalities (online bio, LinkedIn)

🎯 Write down 1 to 2 goals for this meeting - what do you want to achieve?

🖊️ Write down 3 points that would be relevant to share about you (education, particular experience, common interest)

🫂 Always follow up with “thank you” email and fulfill any promises or commitments made

Action Item

Strategically identify 3-5 individuals for one-on-one meetings and schedule them. Prepare well, get to know each other in the meeting, create & follow through on your commitment. Your journey to building trust starts now!

📚 Book Recommendation: For a deeper dive into this subject, we suggest “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything” by Stephen Covey.