What does trust really mean?

By David Lykken
Special to MPA

When you're building a leadership team for your organization, there are many things you'll want to look for in selecting and developing the appropriate candidates. What kinds of characteristics do you want your leaders to have?

 Of course, you want them to have integrity, confidence, great communications skills, and so on and so forth. But if there's on trait all great leaders on your team really need, it's being trustworthy.

 Now, trust can mean many things. Most people probably think of trust in terms of reliability. Someone says that they will get something done, and you can depend on them to follow through with that commitment. That kind of trust certainly is important, but it isn't the kind of trust I'm talking about. I'm talking about a deeper kind of trust.

 Members of your leadership team have to trust one another in the sense that they have to feel comfortable being vulnerable with one another. They have to feel at ease with admitting mistakes or sharing ideas that they're unsure about. There has to be an aura of openness and transparency.

 Why is this kind of trust so important? Because it breaks down barriers. It allows members of your leadership team to communicate openly and honestly, without fear of judgement or condemnation. When this happens, all of the fears and politics that slow down decisions get eliminated. When you trust each other, you can get stuff done. Trust, in the end, is the foundation for a successful leadership team.