“TRUST” – a word we have heard so often and used very often too! Yet, in my experience, this is highly misunderstood and often misinterpreted by a lot of us.
Today, I am going to share my understanding of the meaning of the word – ”TRUST”. I would like to attribute this understanding to “Sujata Ameya (linkedin.com/in/sujatapotay)”, who was talking about it in a video and my AHA moment happened.
“TRUST” in its simplest form implies total congruency between thoughts, words and actions.
Let me elaborate on its relevance in a corporate context.
We understand that a Leader can’t exist in isolation and that a Leader is as good as her team. Now, for the team to work in alignment with the leader, to be fully committed and dedicated to the vision that the leader has for the team, they need to trust the leader. So how can a leader build trust with the team?
Going by the definition above, it is extremely critical for the leader to be consistent with her words and actions. She has to say what she means and means what she says! Any discrepancy visible to the team will result in trust deficit. Remember that trust builds over a period of time, so the leader has to be patient and stay true to her words for trust to build with the team.
While building trust takes time, a simple instance of a discrepancy between words and action can break the trust!
Some questions for you to ponder –
1. Do you trust yourself?
Do you fulfil the expectations you have from yourself? In other words, do you honour your own words and commitment to yourself!
If the answer is in negative, then the probability of you trusting others will also be very low.
2. Do you trust the Universe?
Do you give your best and then accept what comes your way with grace, trusting that the Universe has your back and everything that happens is to help you learn and grow, or are you always in a complaining/blaming mode of the circumstances in your life!
3. Do you trust others easily?
Do you believe that it is impossible to trust others and the world is full of people who are there to make a fool of you or vice versa?
4. Can others trust you?
Do you see that people are able to trust you easily? Be a keen observer of people’s behaviour to get the answer. Notice if people keep checking on anything that they want you to do, or have you heard them say “You never do what you say”, or “I can never understand if you mean it or not” or some similar statements! Listen carefully to the people around you to get insights into what they think!
What has been your experience with “TRUST”? Would be happy to hear your views and comments on this very important aspect of all professional and personal relationships.
I help leaders find joy & purpose @ work by building a Winner’s Mindset, Financial Freedom and Job Satisfaction!