1 1 1 1 Barbara Trustby beCause Global Associate Barbara Brooks Kimmel, founder Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™  — There are several frameworks and models of trustworthy leadership. Some describe the “three C’S” of Character, Competence and Consistency, while another substitutes “consistency” for compassion. Randy Conley, the Vice President of Client Services & Trust Practice Leader for The Ken Blanchard Companies, and one of our Alliance members, employs the ABCDs as a model (Able, Believable, Connected, Dependable.) At Trust Across America we like to say that trustworthy leaders are VIPS’s (Values, Integrity and Promises kept.) 

Yesterday a colleague shared this Harvard Business Review article discussing the work of behavioral science researchers at Princeton (Amy Cuddy and Susan Fiske) and Lawrence University’s Peter Glick. Simply, the most influential traits of great leaders are warmth and strength. The difficulty comes in deciding which comes first, and if you are like me, you will be surprised at the findings.

Why are these traits so important? Because they answer two critical questions: “What are this person’s intentions toward me?” and “Is he or she capable of acting on those intentions?” Together, these assessments underlie our emotional and behavioral reactions to other people, groups, and even brands and companies. 

When considering the most important traits of those who lead with trust, which do you think comes first, warmth or strength? Drop me a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com or leave a comment here on this blog.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series and the Executive Editor of TRUST! Magazine. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

Nominations are now being accepted for Trust Across America-Trust Around the World’s 5th annual Global Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business.

Have you seen our brand new magazine TRUST!

 

{ 5 comments… add one }
  • Nadine B Hack November 16, 2014, 10:58 pm

    I love that HBR article you cite is titled, “Connect, Then Lead” and states, “Most leaders today tend to emphasize their strength, competence, and credentials in the workplace, but that is exactly the wrong approach. Leaders who project strength before establishing trust run the risk of eliciting fear and a host of dysfunctional behaviors. Fear can undermine cognitive potential, creativity, and problem solving, and cause employees to get stuck and even disengage.”

    And I really love that you’ve been getting people to focus on the vital elements of creating, sustaining and maintaining trust as central to all endeavors. I wish you and Trust Across America-Trust Around the World every possible success in your global efforts to help organizations build trust.

    Reply
    • Barbara Brooks Kimmel November 17, 2014, 4:02 pm

      Thank you Nadine. That quote also resonated with me as I mistakenly assumed that “strength” trumped “warmth.” It’s amazing how much there is to learn! Barbara

      Reply
  • Georgina November 17, 2014, 2:18 pm

    Trust is such a fascinating topic for so many reasons. It critical element to doing anything in life regardless of what we do. This is most especially true when considering how leaders can make a difference in this world. For me though, I believe that trust begins with the trust of self first.

    If we have been brought up, programmed or demonstrate through our behaviours that we cannot ultimately trust ourselves, our inner voice, intuition and our ability to take action when needed, then how can we ever begin to expect others to trust us? Without trust we cannot expect to lead. Without trust we cannot expect to connect and create community around us. Leadership requires a deep connection with those we hope to lead.

    How much we trust others has a big impact on how we expect to be trusted too. How others perceive us can be affected by how we perceive them.

    It is my belief that as we evolve our role in life and what we offer to the world, so that trust is tested again and again. That trust is only ever consolidated by living our truth and trusting that we can be accepted and celebrated for living our life honestly and openly.

    Words such as the three C’s – Character, Competence and Consistency (or Compassion) are to me merely symptoms of someone living in a state of trust and truth. If we cannot be true to our own character then how can we develop the highest levels of competence that we are designed to achieve? If we are true to our highest purpose then it will not even be a question of whether we are consistent or not. We just ‘are’ who we are. Natural leaders or not.

    Above all, if we cannot feel compassion for the self, then how can we truly feel it for others? If any of these ingredients are missing from a leader then they have not yet mastered true leadership.

    Reply
    • Nadine B Hack November 17, 2014, 3:46 pm

      Georgina – I couldn’t agree with you more. There is a South African philosophy “Ubuntu” which is similar to Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” philosophy, both of which essentially say, “A person ‘becomes human’ through relationships with other persons.” And, all of this is based on trust.

      Reply
  • Barbara Brooks Kimmel November 17, 2014, 4:04 pm

    Georgina- some believe trust can be taught, while others think either you “have it or you don’t.” Assuming it can be taught, the three “C’s” provide a framework from which to start putting the foundation of trust in place.

    Thank you for commenting.

    Barbara

    Reply

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