At the heart of having influence, is trust. You can’t lead or build anything of significance without it. You may kid yourself into thinking you can finesse people with your words, but you’ll never win people over by “talking them to death.” If your colleagues don’t trust you, you are sunk as a leader. So, what’s the best way to garner trust? Now, this is one of my Cardinal rules and that we espouse daily at GlobalStar, YOU DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO, period. No excuses... 

There is a close relationship between the frequency that leaders follow-thru on their promises or commitments and people’s trust in management. And trust drops precipitously as the leader’s follow-thru declines. When people trust their leaders, you can get everyone aligned, thereby providing them the integral enthusiasm to get the job done right. And the higher the trust, the greater the ascension toward extraordinary results. Trust is what allows excellence to become the standard. Once this happens, it becomes easier to inspire and replicate, creating a performative flywheel effect. Let’s face it, trust is contagious and begets people operating in a more trusting manner. This sort of transparency is atypical and allows you to build a company where unification of great cultural ideas expands beyond your company’s four walls. 

A leader must embody honesty, integrity, and accountability. All components of trust. Thomas Jefferson said that “honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Remember, trust is built one consistent act at a time. Here’s the deal, trust is a fragile thing, and once you break it, it will never come back to its original shape. Like a bell you can’t unring.