People demand more from leaders today than just a commitment to profit. As the President of RX Medical, a family of businesses that support surgeons, healthcare providers and quality patient care, we value trust and integrity when delivering medical technology solutions. In a world where trust between clients and brands plays a key ingredient in an organization’s success, what are some ways you can “step to the plate” to help foster a culture of trust in your workplace?
Most employees “want” to trust
the people in charge but … most don’t.
Trust is valuable – but can be easily destroyed if leaders do not believe maintaining integrity is important says John Blakey, author of the book, The Trusted Executive, Nine Leadership Habits that Inspire Results, Relationships and Reputation. Forward-thinking leaders must build a high-trust culture, earn a reputation as a trustworthy leader and recover from trust-eroding mistakes if they want to stay competitive says Blake. He believes leaders must place a high value on trust because it’s the hidden driver of high performance. Unlike leaders from older generations (who traditionally embraced a more profit-driven only approach), most employees prefer a spirit of transparency from their leaders.
Each new generation holds increasingly less faith in authority figures according to research shared in Blake’s publication. He mentions only 29% of people now feel that those who hold positions of power … actually know best. If you’re a leader, your title’s authority isn’t a substitute for trust. Gaining trust requires embracing transparency and staying alert to relevant issues that might impact the success of your organization.
3 Ways Leaders Demonstrate Integrity: Consider Blake’s suggestions for building leadership trust in today’s workplace.
- Honesty – Being honest with others requires being honest with yourself (and your imperfections) first. If you’re competitive, it’s likely you’ll feel tempted to exaggerate strategically or stretch the truth at times. Appoint trusted professionals to help keep you accountable.
- Openness – Blake’s book shares more survey results that found employees are more likely to trust leaders who display openness. Being open entails displaying vulnerability, which some leaders tend to hide. To be more open, practice recontextualizing fears and worries that may hold you back. When you consider negative facts, pivot your conceptual understanding of them and make more positive assumptions about your worth and value.
- Humility – You might assume that leaders who display self-aggrandizing, stereotypical alpha-behaviors will have a competitive edge. In reality, leaders who display humility prove more effective so stay humble.
Trusted executives empower the voices of all roles within their company (from entry level to seasoned professionals) because each employee plays a contributing factor in your organization’s overall success. Introducing fairness into your culture demonstrates humility, which positively affects your brand reputation and financial performance. Think of trust as a valuable commodity like a buried fossil fuel – it takes years to build so don’t burn it up in a second.
Leadership Challenge: What are some examples of ways you deliver, coach and act with integrity to earn continued trust from your team?
Brandon Rouse leads a diverse and growing team of professionals well-versed in the challenges facing healthcare today. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, Brandon’s experienced team represents various technological and innovative medical solutions. ZB RX Medical and RX Medical are direct distributors of Zimmer Biomet.