Why would honesty be important to a leader?
Building trust in your organization is a difficult task because it takes time for people to have bought into your vision and or philosophy as their leader. You must be clear and upfront with all decisions and guidance. Mean what you say and say what you mean— it doesn’t get any simpler than that. You have to be true to yourself, your beliefs, and values first before you make judgments on anyone else in your organization.
Everything about you is being measured. Are you trustworthy? Are you doing what’s right legally and morally? Questions may come up based upon how effective you are when you communicate to them. Are you reliable? Are you confident? Are you decisive? Do you have the best interest of your key leaders and subordinates at heart? Do you have their backs when they need your support? You must earn their trust by being competent in performing your duties in providing guidance and trusting them to get it done. There will be times when you are going to have to take risks and support their efforts.
Are you allowing them to critically think for themselves? To be frank, you have to trust and support your team in order for them to believe that you trust them to accomplish your mission. Being a trustworthy leader is critical to earning the confidence and respect of your people. So, be honest and ask yourself, “Do you trust your inner circle to get the job done?” If the answer is yes, then you are doing your job. If it’s no, then you have to be humble enough to stare at yourself in the mirror and ask why. Where have I failed? Have I given enough information? Did they understand my guidance? Was I clear in conveying my message?
Effective leaders seek the knowledge and skills that they’ve gain along the way through experiences, from peers, and from lessons learned to make the right decisions when faced with adversity in the workplace. Leaders also inspire their subordinate leaders and others to do the same, so they can learn and grow together in taking responsibilities for their actions. Be humble and straightforward; trust your judgment and trust your people. “Serve them well” ARF
