Build Your Leadership on a Foundation of Trust

The most effective leaders share a lot of characteristics, but the most important is their ability to inspire trust. With a solid foundation of trust, team members will act freely and without fear, and they’ll be more willing to take risks, move outside their comfort zones, and explore new ideas. They’ll more readily share information, feeling confident that other members of their team have their best interests in mind.
I asked Dave Bushy, a long-time friend, mentor, and colleague who is a well-known aviation consultant and executive coach, to describe an example where he observed the positive effects of trust. This is what he shared:
“Take my experience at JetBlue, for example. Dave Barger, JetBlue’s president and CEO, is committed to running an organization of respect, empathy, and integrity. His team members trust him as an individual and as a leader, and they want to follow his lead. As a result, JetBlue has achieved brand recognition, respect within the marketplace, and, most importantly, a culture driven by trust.”
Without trust, you can’t lead effectively, and your teams cannot reach their full potential. Fostering trust in your organization isn’t an easy process, but it is worthwhile because it will increase functionality across your organization.
One way to facilitate this process is by understanding trust through the use of a model. Not only does that help educate team members about the importance of trust, but it also provides them with a common language that can drive honest conversations.

A Tangible Framework for Trust

One well-known framework is drawn from Jack Gibb’s Theory of Group Development. The theory states that as the level of trust increases, unhealthy dynamics begin to fall away, increasing the functionality of the group and creating a safe space for dialogue, debate, and problem-solving.