TRUST AS THE CORNERSTONE FOR HEALTHY CULTURE
If you believe that ‘trust is earned’, you are not alone. At first glance, it makes sense. You show your boss you can perform a task excellently, that you can close a sale or that your team ‘hit the targeted numbers’ and therefore you should be trusted. After all, in your mind, you have achieved a goal and now deserve to be trusted. You have earned it! Yet, individual or team performance is no guarantee that trust exists within an organisation and in many teams, trust levels remain low.
Trust is the cornerstone of a healthy organisational culture. A trust-based culture allows individuals and teams to relax and focus. The lack of trust, on the other hand, creates an environment filled with emotional stress. Stressed people find it hard to concentrate on the job at hand. They find it difficult to prioritise tasks in line with team goals, and to make matters worse, in low trust environments, strategic goals and clarity around challenges are often poorly communicated.
Yet, when there is trust, it encourages people to share their insight, experience, and intellect, because they feel safe to do so. A critical spin-off of a trust-based culture is that not only are leaders able to tap into the collective intelligence of the team, but it allows teams to grow their intelligence collectively.
Trust equals speed. Where trust levels are low, you often find control mechanisms. Bureaucracy and control systems are typically used to compensate for lack of trust. These systems are synonymous with activeness and slowness. Bureaucracy slows down much-needed momentum teams require to stay motivated, enthusiastic, and ahead of the competition.
Servant leaders know that creating and maintaining a trusting work environment is a deliberate decision. They know that, in the first place, it is their role to extend trust. This doesn’t mean that servant leaders engage in an exercise of blind gullibility[1], as Stephen R. Covey puts it, but rather that servant leaders have a strong bias to trust others. When leaders do not trust their people, relationships suffer initially and performance eventually.
The case for servant leaders building a work environment based on trust is evident. The questions that remain are, which principles and practices of servant leadership lead to a trust-based culture? Which specific attitudes and actions of the leader builds trust with his/her followers?
THE PRINCIPLE OF HUMILITY
The principle of servant leadership that allows leaders to win and build trust is humility. Humility is not being a doormat for others, nor is it to lay down your ambitions or strengths. According to John Dickson, humility is holding your power (i.e., have your power under control), for the good of others and not for personal gain[2]. Humility is a key characteristic that attracts others. One is only a leader if people are following you, so ‘if they do not follow, you are not a leader!’[3], John Maxwell reminds us.
Dickson maintains that humility makes common sense. His position is supported by a 2015 study[4] of 105 SME’s (small and medium-sized enterprises) that revealed that the more humble a CEO is, the more likely the top management team and organisation is to collaborate, share information, make joint decisions and have a shared vision.
Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, uncovers two common qualities of CEOs in companies that transitioned from being ‘good’ to being ‘great’: 1) humility, 2) a resolute drive to advance the cause of the business.
THE PRACTICE OF VULNERABILITY
To grow in humility, servant leaders need to develop vulnerability. At the heart of vulnerability lies the willingness of people to abandon their pride and fear. To sacrifice their egos for the collective good of the team[5]. This is only achievable in an environment where people feel safe. Safe to share their fears. Safe to abandon their pride and ask for honest feedback about what a team needs to achieve its goals. Where people feel comfortable to be open, transparent, and candid.
It is the leader’s job to be vulnerable first. To ask people for feedback and permit them to be honest and truthful. Admitting weaknesses is a powerful way for leaders to show their vulnerability. Comments by the leader such as ‘I made a mistake’, and ‘You are much better at this than me’, goes a long way towards building trust.
In a 2011 study[6] of seven CEOs that had experienced remarkable personal growth and professional success in their businesses, vulnerability emerged as a key theme. It’s the leaders’ vulnerability that inspired their teams to do better, share more, and grow more.
EXAMPLES OF HUMBLE LEADERS
Here are some of today’s leaders that lead with an acute awareness of the power of humility.
David Green is the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, a $4.6 billion arts and crafts business. He is known for his exceptional generosity. It is a well-documented fact that half of Hobby Lobby profits are giving to charities and churches. Also, the Hobby Lobby founder pays his workers twice the minimum wage. It is said that he wants to be remembered more for his good works and influence than his business empire, and he’s keeping true to his word. He even flies economy class when he travels.
Tony Hsieh, the infamous Zappos CEO, has invested a great deal of his own profits into building up Las Vegas’ tech community. According to those close to him, he lives under his means, maintaining a lifestyle similar to before his great successes. Not many multi-millionaires live in trailer parks. He also readily acknowledged his limitations as a leader. He puts it concisely when he says, “My goal as CEO is to make as few decisions as possible. The best decisions are made from the ground up.”[7]
Opera superstar Anna Netrebko, explains exactly why playing the part of a preening, self-absorbed diva does not lead to a great performance. From the moment she meets cast and crew on a new production, Netrebko says, she fosters an atmosphere of cooperation and bonhomie. “There is so much that can go wrong on stage, someone gets sick, gets lost or forgets the words,” she says. “No matter how big or small your role, you have to be attuned to your fellow performers to hold it together for each other.[8]
When talking about teaching humility at every level, Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, is an excellent example. Rutte rides his bicycle to work every day despite his title. He also offers his time to teach in a school once a week. The influence he has on his nation works as an excellent platform to show the importance of working for and with your community. What further distinguishes Rutte, is that he is not afraid to be vulnerable. When visiting the Ministry of Health, he spilled a cup of coffee and mopped it up himself![9]
CONCLUSION
Trust is the most important thing for servant leaders. It forms the foundation of leadership and is the glue that holds the organisation together[10]. If a high level of trust is not present, leaders cannot humbly serve and selflessly support people[11].
To create a trusting organization culture, servant leaders need to live the principle of humility. A key way for them to develop and maintain humility is through being vulnerable. It is the servant leader’s vulnerability that creates a trust-based culture that is that basis for healthy conflict, deep relationships, and meaningful results.
In summary: Servant leaders use the principle of humility, by purposefully practicing vulnerability, to create trust-based organizational cultures.
Author and Contributor: Willem Potgieter – Director @ TTLI (LinkedIn Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willem-potgieter-23b9905/)
References:
[1] Covey, Stephen R. Servant Leadership at the Speed of Trust. Servant Leadership in Action. 2018
[2] Dickson, John. Humilitas. 2011.
[3] Maxwell, John. What all leaders have in common. Global Leadership Summit 2018.
[4] Peterson, S, Ou A, Waldman, D. Do humble CEOs Matter? An examination of CEO humility and Firm Outcomes. 2015.
[5] Lencioni, P. The Advantage. 2012.
[6] Giacoman, A. The strength of vulnerable leaders. https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/The-Strength-of-Vulnerable-Leaders. November 2017.
[7] Sweeney, C and Gosfield J. Super Achievers’ Secret Power: Humility. 2013. https://www.fastcompany.com/3022841/super-achievers-secret-power-humility
[8] Sweeney, C and Gosfield J. Super Achievers’ Secret Power: Humility. 2013. https://www.fastcompany.com/3022841/super-achievers-secret-power-humility
[9] Lally, M. Humble Leadership Drives Companies. Learn from the best of the best. 2019. https://www.bluleadz.com/blog/humble-leadership-why-it-matters-and-examples
[10] Maxwell, John C. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow them and people will follow you. 10th edition. 2007.
[11] Bush, Michael C. Servant Leaders create a great place to work for. Servant Leadership in Action. 2018