Leadership and confidence go hand in hand. There can be no leadership without trust and to build trust you have to lead effectively. One of the people who best explains these concepts, based on her knowledge of neuroscience applied to leadership, is Katharine D’Amico. Katharine is the academic director of the Executive MBA programs at ESADE and a recognized expert in neuroscience for leadership.
Katharine recommends that leaders engage in 10 behaviors to boost trust. These actions are measurable and can be managed to improve team performance. THESE 10 BEHAVIORS ARE:
- ASK SOME GOOD “WHAT” QUESTIONS. Encourage leaders to frequently ask their team members questions. Questions like “What will happen if we do this?” “What if we do something else?” Asking these types of questions will encourage authenticity and open dialogue between the leader and her team.
- FOLLOW UP WITH “BECAUSE”. Katharine recommends sticking with the “because.” It is advisable to explain the reasons behind the main actions. This will increase transparency and trust within the team.
- STATE ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES. Leaders should demonstrate that they have identified and analyzed different possibilities. It is one of the best ways to build trust and reduce the tension caused by change.
- RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE. Leaders must recognize effort and excellence in team members. Recognition must be carried out immediately upon achieving an objective. Additionally, Katharine recommends that this recognition be “tangible, unexpected, personal and public,” to the extent possible.
- INDUCE “CHALLENGE STRESS”. D’Amico believes that leaders introduce a moderate level of stress. What is known as challenge stress. That is, the teams have a difficult but achievable and motivating challenge. On the contrary, unclear or very difficult-to-achieve objectives can demotivate and cause negative stress, causing demotivation or even abandonment.
- GIVE PEOPLE DISCRETION IN HOW THEY DO THEIR WORK. It is very interesting to give team members freedom in how they manage people and execute projects. If the team members feel this trust on the part of the leader, their confidence increases and with it their motivation to achieve the challenge set.
- SHARE INFORMATION BROADLY. Leaders must be generous in sharing information with their team. Uncertainty and lack of information often generate distrust. Their antidote, according to Katharine, is to be open to sharing information widely.
- INTENTIONALLY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. People are social beings. People usually enjoy building relationships. These relationships often increase people’s trust levels as connections with other people increase. Good leaders must focus on creating and strengthening relationships.
- FACILITATE WHOLE-PERSON GROWTH. In high-trust environments, people grow both professionally and personally. Different studies show that people need not only new personal skills but also growth on a personal level. Leaders must adopt a growth mindset to develop talent.
- SHOW VULNERABILITY. Leaders who show vulnerability, who can ask for help when they need it, create environments of trust. Asking for help is a clear sign of leadership that also fosters cooperation and trust.
You now know 10 key actions to lead your team and generate high levels of trust. Because, as Peter Drucker said, “Leadership is an achievement of trust.”
