Building trust with those you lead

Let's talk about building trust with those you lead today as a leader. It is important for you as a leader to be trusted by your followers.

More and more studies are telling us what we already know: that trust is the most critical currency in leadership and high-performing teams.

There are two types of trust – affective trust and cognitive trust.

Affective trust is trust based on emotional bonds and interpersonal relatedness. Another way to look at this is to view it as ‘warmth’. It is how someone feels about your intentions. You can build this sort of trust by getting to know your team on a personal level, letting them get to know you as a person, being clear about demonstrating your values and showing vulnerability in the right context.

Cognitive trust is trust based on reliability and competence. Another way to look at this is by considering how well someone thinks you will act on your intentions. You can build this trust by delivering on your promises and doing what you say you will do. You can build it by being transparent with your intentions and decisions – and keeping your word. Keep confidences. Act with ethics. Do the right thing, even when it is the hard thing to do.

As a leader you need to build both and apply them correctly and then....you will enjoy total trust from your followers.

Thanks for reading!

©️ Tunde Ajayi