Real leaders bring a variety of qualities to their work and their teams. Some start with an inspiring vision and a passion to share that message. Others become leaders because they attract attention due to their accomplishments. Without faith and trust, a leader will ultimately fail. Take inspiration from these real leaders in various fields and how they have inspired others to trust them.
Earn Faith Through results
Delivering results is a key way to earn the trust and respect of others in your organization. In fact, some leaders start by following orders and achieving results even if they had wished to do something differently. The ability to achieve results for your organization matters a great deal.
Consider the military career of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Many of us know of Eisenhower from his time as U.S. President or as the Supreme Commander in Europe during the World War II. However, his early military career did not go according to plan. During the World War I, he was eager to be deployed to Europe. However, he was assigned to train and develop new soldiers in the U.S. Training new soldiers was important for the military and Eisenhower did it well, even though he would have preferred another assignment.
Lesson 1: earn trust by achieving results with whatever assignment you are given. This guidance is very important when you are establishing credibility in a new role or at a new organization.
Keep Promises, Day After Day
Do you know what the top quality people want in leaders according to global surveys? It is not an Ivy League education. It is not industry connections or outstanding sales ability. According to research conducted by leadership authors James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, integrity and keeping your word is the top quality people seek in leaders.
Building your reputation for keeping promises starts small. You make a promise to meet a deadline for a customer and you keep it. You promise to give a special bonus to a star performer if they meet certain criteria and you follow through. If you’re uncertain about your ability to make keep a promise, be clear about that fact up front.
If you are disorganized, you will have a hard time remembering all your commitments and keeping your word. I recommend learning a productivity system. Start by reading Leading Yourself With Getting Things Done.
Lesson 2: keeping trust as a leader is earned or lost one day at a time. As a leader, you can’t make excuses about simply forgetting your promises. You need to learn a productivity system, or work with a highly capable personal assistant.
Develop Yourself To Lead Better
Arrogance is a frustrating and common trait in many leaders in the business world. Acting as though you are all-knowing also makes it difficult for your people to connect with you. Instead, real leaders look for ways to stay humble and keep growing.
As a young man, George Washington had great challenges. During his teenage years, Washington’s father died. He also lacked the benefit of a college education, a deficiency that he worked to address. Washington developed himself by becoming a student of etiquette and building relationships with influencers. This foundation of social graces, a strong network, and other capabilities gave him the ability to lead during the dark days of the War of Independence.
Lesson 3: lifelong learning is no longer optional. As a leader, it is up to you to be a role model for those you lead. Real leaders, past and present, put their time and energy into learning new ideas. With Internet learning resources, there’s no reason you can’t start learning today.
Featured photo credit: Rock Climbing/spencerlikestorun via pixabay.com
