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Leadership Academy

Leadership and Trust - Act

To Lead Effectively, Build Trust

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Most leaders intuitively understand that trust matters in a team. Yet they may not recognize how deeply that the level of interpersonal trust with and within their teams actually affects their levels of engagement and performance. In this course you’ll learn to see and nurture those critical connections. In this course we’ll talk about how engagement and performance in a team are rooted in trust. You’ll also learn how trust in a team can be positively impacted by balancing vulnerability and efficiency at both the individual and team level.

This course is part 3 of a 4-course series that deconstructs the aspect of Leadership and Trust with the backdrop of the 16 Elements and the 6 Pillar Human Achievement Process. For an overview of these frameworks, visit the 16 Elements Academy here (opens in a new window).

Lesson 1

Introduction

course objectives

Recognize that engagement and performance in a team are rooted in trust.
Recognize that trust in a team can be positively impacted by balancing vulnerability and efficiency at both the individual and team level.

Introduction to Trust and the Act Pillar

Leaders encourage their team to act by measuring progress, ensuring alignment, investing in team members, and helping them to move forward.

Lesson 2

Score and Trust

Direction and Speed

The things you keep score of and the way you keep score of them matter. Are you helping your team move in the right direction at the right speed?

reflection activity

Score and Trust

Consider your team’s Direction and Speed metrics as you answer the questions below. Note: If you’re struggling to come up with either a Direction or Speed scoring metric, set up time with your leader to discuss and seek their input.

Activity: Score and Trust

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Consider your team’s speed and direction as you answer the following questions.

Consider the various metrics (i.e., Key Performance Indicators, goals, product usage, sales, leads) involved with your team that could produce a Direction Score. List them below:

Of the Direction metrics you identified, do they currently show that your team is proceeding with less direction or more direction?

Next, consider the metrics (i.e., Key Performance Indicators, new users, sales growth, employee turnover, onboarding) with your team that could produce a Speed Score and list them below:

Of the Speed metrics you identified, do they currently show that your team is proceeding at less speed or more speed?

The Airplane Quadrants

Answer the question below. Later, when you’re able to score this and share with your team members, you’ll build trust as you not only articulate where they’re struggling but help build a plan for better performance.

Consider your team and make a “gut” call: which of the four quadrants are you collectively positioned in—Grounded, Circling, Stall, or Cruising?

Cruising: High Speed, High Direction

Stall: Low Speed, High Direction

Circling: High Speed, Low Direction

Grounded: Low Speed, Low Direction

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Lesson 3

Momentum and Trust

The Power of Winning

Trust-building leaders build and protect the momentum of their teams. Leaders understand that momentum and engagement are closely related and can drive performance.

reflection activity

Momentum and Trust

Momentum fuels itself with trust like an engine fuels itself with gasoline or petrol. Consider the momentum of your team as you answer the questions below.

Activity: Momentum and Trust

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Consider the momentum of your team as you answer the following questions.

What are three specific “small wins” you can create for your team to build momentum?

Identify three specific ways the team culture can improve so members will want to “play” even when things seem difficult.

Pick one specific thing you can do in each area below to create energy for your team.

Physical Energy:

Mental Energy:

Emotional Energy:

Social Energy:

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Lesson 4

Investment and Trust

The Four Investments

Consider how you invest in your team. The right investment for each team member helps build their trust in you.

reflection activity

Investment and Trust

Consider the four investments you can make to build trust with your team as you answer the questions below.

Time and Energy. Are there long-term projects you can invest in now, or do you need to marshal a greater amount of energy to achieve something quickly?
Goal Sharing. How visible are your team’s goals to each other and the organization? Is there something you can do to increase it?
Capital Resources. What financial resources do you have discretion over and how might you productively invest them in your team?
Intellectual Investments. How can you create a safe space to allow team members some latitude to make intellectual investments of their own?

Activity: Investment and Trust

Email

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Consider the four investments you can make to build trust with your team. Write the actionable steps you can take to address one or more of the investment types.

TIME AND ENERGY. Are there long-term projects you can invest in now, or do you need to marshal a greater amount of energy to achieve something quickly?

GOAL SHARING. How visible are your team’s goals to each other and the organization? Is there something you can do to increase it?

CAPITAL RESOURCES. What financial resources do you have discretion over and how might you productively invest them in your team?

INTELLECTUAL INVESTMENTS. How can you create a safe space to allow team members some latitude to make intellectual investments of their own?

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Lesson 5

Alignment and Trust

The Overlap

Leaders are responsible to help their team members align their competency, passion, and value to the team’s objectives and goals.

reflection activity

Alignment and Trust

Consider the members of your team and where they fall on the Value-Passion-Competence diagram as you complete the exercise below.

If you’re unsure about the competence or passion of those you lead, build trust by asking them specific questions in your next one-on-one.

Competence: Do you feel like you are able to accomplish what you are being asked to do?

Passion: Do you feel like you enjoy doing it?

Once you have completed this exercise, commit to share your ideas and have an honest, candid, and high courage conversation around this topic at your next scheduled one-on-one.

Activity: Alignment and Trust

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Consider the members of your team and where they fall on the Value-Passion-Competence diagram as you answer the following questions.

VALUE: Is anyone working in areas that aren’t valued by the organization? If so, what actions can you take as a leader to remedy that while still building trust?

PASSION: Do you have solid individual contributors on your team who have lost the passion for their work? If so, capture ways to connect what they value with what the organization values.

COMPETENCE: Can you identify individuals doing what they enjoy for the organization but have a competency gap? Write your strategy below, such as offering training, mentorship, tools, or other resources to help them gain new levels of proficiency.

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Lesson 6

Acting for Engagement

Summary of Trust and the Act Pillar

Trust is an essential part of helping members of a team feel comfortable enough to take meaningful action. Taking the time to act in a way that builds trust helps teams become and stay fully engaged in their work.

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