Is this one thing breaking down trust with your team?

Exceptional leadership is something everyone is looking for these days. 

At the start of 2022, a great example of exceptional leadership was the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. In an article in The Atlantic, Uri Friedman writes of her leadership style: 

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Jacinda Ardern, the 39-year-old prime minister of New Zealand, is forging a path of her own. Her leadership style is one of empathy in a crisis that tempts people to fend for themselves...People feel that Ardern “doesn’t preach at them; she’s standing with them,” Helen Clark, New Zealand’s prime minister from 1999 to 2008, told me. (Ardern, a fellow member of the Labour Party, got her start in politics working for Clark during her premiership.) “They may even think, Well, I don’t quite understand why [the government] did that, but I know she’s got our back. There’s a high level of trust and confidence in her because of that empathy.”

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It turns out that leading with kindness and empathy can help you become an exceptional leader. Why? Because it centers your humanity and that of your team. 

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Today, I want to ask you: do you mean what you say to your team? Do you follow through on your word or do you deliver empty promises?

Not following through on your word is the EASIEST way to break trust with your team. Think about it: remember when you were a child and a parent would promise something but then never deliver? It could have been a pet, a trip to Disney, or just going for ice cream after school. Either way, remember the disappointment you felt? The sense of betrayal? The next time you were promised something, how much did you believe it? Were you 100% on board or were you more along the lines of "I'll believe it when I see it?"

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Not delivering on your word or promises will chip away at the trust your team has in you. If you underdeliver on a substantial promise, good luck ever getting them to trust you again.  

How can you expect your team to follow through on their commitments if you can't follow through on yours? You need to be able to follow through--no matter the cost. Here's the thing, though: if you weigh your words and actions carefully, you can minimize the cost. How?

Don't over-promise. 

Listen, I know as a leader sometimes you can get a little too caught up in the moment or might blurt something out without checking if it's possible first. DON'T DO THAT. Be thoughtful and intentional about what you say and do for your team and with your team and you won't have to worry later on about how to make something impossible happen or go back on your word because you overpromised. Instead, under-promise and over-deliver. This will help you and your team manage expectations and when you can exceed those expectations, everyone is in for an unexpected surprise. 

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If this has been helpful for you, feel free to hit the share buttons below. And if you'd like to book a discovery call to discuss on Theory of Change Consulting can support you or your team, schedule some time with us today.