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How to inspire trust and loyalty to your leadership – a practical guide.
I worked with many leaders in 30 years, all exceptional professionals and experts in their fields, but only a handful made a real impact on me or instilled a sense of loyalty. The kind of loyalty that makes you willing to go the extra mile and follow them anywhere they go.
These are the traits that set them apart from the rest and have nothing to do with their professional expertise or business vision.
1. Demonstrating genuine interest in their employees
Despite their busy schedules, they always took time during the day to walk around the office and engage with individuals, even those several organisational layers below them. They took an interest in their work, daily challenges, personal motivations, and drivers.
2. Having clarity of their personal values
They knew exactly what they stood for. That strong sense of awareness was consistently reflected in their actions, behaviours, and words. They had no interest in pleasing organisational hierarchies. They stayed true to their convictions, even if those convictions set them apart from everyone else, as long as it was the right thing to do for the business and the people.
3. Showing trust in their team
Trust is mutual, so they understood that to earn others’ trust, they first had to show trust in them. They achieved this by being curious about others, understanding their strengths, and giving them space to make mistakes and opportunities to grow. They elevated others by trusting their expertise and guidance, while simply supporting them by being present and ready to help when needed.
4. Not being afraid to acknowledge their blind spots
They knew exactly what they stood for. That strong sense of awareness was consistently reflected in their actions, behaviours, and words. They had no interest in pleasing organisational hierarchies. They stayed true to their convictions, even if those convictions set them apart from everyone else, as long as it was the right thing to do for the business and the people.
5. Displaying kindness and good manners
They knew everyone’s first names, from team members to security staff and receptionists, and greeted everyone when they walked into a room. Their position was never an excuse for poor or disrespectful behaviour toward others. A core belief that guided them is that everyone in the workplace is equal and has an important contribution to make.
6. Being clear about their life priorities
They were not interested in maintaining a perfect work persona. Instead, they were willing to show their humanity and priorities in life. The board member who left promptly at 5:30pm each day to be with his family, the senior leader who openly discussed the challenges of caring for an ill family member, or the senior female partner who didn’t hesitate to interrupt an important presentation she was giving to answer a call from her child’s school. The way they handled those personal moments defined their leadership, showing their teams what their values are.
