The single most important thing any leader or manager can do to be successful is to build trust with his or her team.
When working with a new client or joining a new organization, the first thing I know that I need to do to be successful is to build trust. If I am not able to build trust, I know that it will be significantly more difficult to be successful. I always make sure to take the time to establish the foundations of trust at the earliest stages.
The key to building trust is being authentic. People have a natural sense of when someone is being authentic and tend to be distrustful of someone who isn’t.
Authenticity starts with self-awareness. You cannot be authentic if you don’t know what makes you who you are. For example, I know that I am analytical, like to solve problems, and like to build things. I value honesty and ethical behavior. I am a teacher. I am a delegator. I am not a micro-manager. Knowing these things about myself helps me relate to others in an authentic way which allows me to build trust.
