“Trust, but verify.” Ronald Reagan
Trust is the essential ingredient for a healthy relationship. Good leaders strive to form a bond of trust between them and their people. When trust is broken, often it cannot be repaired. I fired only a handful of leaders in my time in the Army. In each case, I had lost trust in them. Trust is gained as a relationship forms between leader and led. It occurs as the subordinate does the right thing far away from the leader following direction and when a leader gives autonomy and or comes to the defense of a subordinate. I believe real trust is formed away from work such as the break room, or at a company social event when two people come together to get to know each other and learn what motivates and demotivates each other.
Once trust is established, however, it doesn’t mean a leader is absolved of their responsibilities of checking on progress, enforcing standards, and asking pointed questions. …
Read the rest here.
