Would Your Team Trust a Stranger Over You? Here are 6 Ways to Build Trust

According to a Harvard Business Review survey, 58% of employees would trust a stranger more than their own boss! Ouch! What a sad indictment regarding the state of relational and organizational health today.

There is plenty of blame to go around for this unfortunate perception and lack of trust in the workplace. But rather than avoid it, leaders should take responsibility for whatever they can do to change it. As my friend John McAuley says, “Leaders are people who look at the world and say, ‘It doesn’t have to be this way’ and do something about it.” Here are the top six things leaders can do to build trust.

1. Never fudge the truth!

2. Over communicate!

3. Get results!

4. Do what you promise!

5. Give trust to receive trust!

6. Pursue time with others

Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.