Trust in Leadership – What do Global Leaders Say?

Collated by Michael J Griffin

Recently my friend told me that her company will begin to track their movements in Singapore. What a way to demotivate employees. As my friend said, “Welcome to work at the prison!” This got me thinking about how companies and more so leaders or managers in an organization build and inspire trust in their employees and teams. Trusting employees are more loyal, more motivated, more productive, and actually easier to manage.

Abby Lewis states, “In fact, according to a study in Harvard Business Review, people at high-trust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout than people at low-trust companies.

In contrast, employees at low-trust organizations are often bogged down by office politics and infighting. They are more likely to withhold information and hoard resources because they don’t feel safe sharing them. As a result, decision-making is slower and less effective. At a time when distrust seems to be the default, fostering a high-trust organization has never been so important—and it often starts with leadership.”

Let’s review at some quotes on trust that will stimulate your thinking to be a trust builder, not a trust breaker in your organization.

"Trust is the essence of Leadership." Colin Powell

The glue that holds all relationships together--including the relationship between the leader and the led--is trust, and trust is based on integrity." Brian Tracy

"Trust is the easiest thing in the world to lose, and the hardest thing in the world to get back." R. M. Williams

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."
Ernest Hemingway

"Trust is like blood pressure. It's silent, vital to good health, and if abused it can be deadly." Frank Sonnenberg

“A man who trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man nobody trusts.” Harold Macmillan

“By the standards of the rest of the world, we overtrust. So far it has worked very well for us.” Charlie Munger

“The ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust is the key professional and personal competency of our time.” Stephen M.R. Covey

"To be effective in a multicultural environment, leaders must recognize and adapt to different perceptions of trust. In a globalized world, building trust requires understanding the diverse backgrounds and values of team members. Fons Trompenaars

“Leadership requires five ingredients – brains, energy, determination, trust, and ethics. The key challenges today are in terms of the last two – trust and ethics.” Fred Hilmer

“A great leader creates trust and inspires loyalty among those who follow.” 
Abraham Lincoln

“Leadership is doing what is right, not what is popular.” Lao Tzu

“Do the right thing. Always.”  Ted Coiné

"The very first job of a leader is to inspire trust and the second job of a leader is to extend trust." Stephen M R Covey

"Trust doesn’t mean that you trust that someone won’t screw up; it means you trust them when they do screw up." Ed Catmull, CEO, Pixar

"Purpose affirms trust, trust affirms purpose, and together they forge individuals into a working team." Coleman Ruiz, Navy SEAL

"Trust is earned when actions meet words." Chris Butler

"In leadership, trust is not a given; it must be earned and maintained." Unknown

"Great teams consist of individuals who have learned to trust each other." 
Amy Edmondson

I suggest you share these quotes with your team members and ask them which quotes resonate with each of them and why. From this you can stimulate a great team discussion, gain feedback and ideas how to build trusting relationships that inspire great teams.

At ELAvate we conduct Teamwork Makes the Dream Work workshop for organizations that want to build high trust, performing teams employing research from John Maxwell, Jack Zenger, Fons Trompenaars, TTISI profiles, and my experience leading cross-cultural teams for over 30 years.

I wonder how long my friend will stay at her current organization?

Be a trust builder in all aspects of your life. Make a difference!

Michael J Griffin
CEO and Founder of ELAvate
Cross Cultural Trust Builder
Maxwell Leadership Founding Member
michael.griffin@elavateglobal.com
+65-91194008 (WA)