The Key to Building Trust as a Leader

LEADERSHIP

Feb 15

This is the first article in our new three-part Trust series, where we dive into this big fear that small business owners face when growing teams. For the full series read 3 Powerful Ways to Develop Self-trust for Leading a Team, and Building A Team You Can Trust.

It's only Wednesday, yet the topic of trust has already made an appearance several times in my world this week.

Trust has shown up for me in conversations around:

Why a client has made poor hiring decisions in the past

> She hasn't listened to or trusted her gut instinct

A key characteristic of leaders who have strong company cultures

> Trust has been a hot topic at an HR conference I'm attending this week

Business owners who've shared their concerns about making their first hire

> I often hear things like, "What if I make a mistake?"

When something keeps coming up like this for me, I know that there's a reason why. Perhaps it's something I need to pay a little more attention to myself or maybe it's a message I need to share with someone else – like you!

What is trust?

Merriam-Webster defines trust as:

Trust (noun) – Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed (including ourselves).

It's essential that we develop some level of self-trust as business owners in order to stay motivated, take action, and follow-through.

As we begin to hire and lead a team, it becomes critical that we lean into trusting ourselves even more. If we don't trust ourselves, it will be nearly impossible to trust someone else.

Quote: If we don't trust ourselves, it will be nearly impossible to trust someone else. by SproutHR

When we lack trust in our team it can lead to serious problems, such as:

Mistrust among team members
Failure to share information
Poor (or lack of) communication
Higher levels of stress
Lower levels of productivity
Leader-dependency
And much more

Trust plays a huge role in company culture and isn't something that you should leave to chance. Your culture is something you must cultivate with intention and purpose in order to reap the many rewards it can bring to both you and your employees. And it all begins by learning to trust yourself so you can in turn trust others.

Do you struggle with trusting yourself? If so, leave a comment and let me know what you struggle with most.

Authored by Ashley Cox, PHR, SHRM-CP

Now that you know the Key to Building Trust as a Leader, learn how you can develop greater self-trust in the second article in our three-part Trust series, 3 Powerful Ways to Develop Self-trust for Leading a Team.

The Key to Building Trust as A Leader by SproutHR

Ashley Cox

Ashley Cox is the Founder and CEO of SproutHR, a boutique firm that helps women-owned businesses hire and lead thriving teams with smart and simple strategies.

After spending a decade of her career working in Leadership and Human Resources for companies like Kroger and J.Crew, Ashley set out to start something of her own in 2015. Tapping into her background in corporate HR and professional training, she aspired to help her peers in the small business world with their biggest pain points: hiring and leading teams.

Too often, small business owners, particularly women, will put off hiring and scaling because they think it is more efficient to do it all themselves. At SproutHR, Ashley and her team help you hire the right people for your team (in the right way), focusing on values-based hiring, compassionate and intentional leadership, and amplifying your impact.

Ashley is also the author of Transform Your Stories, where she helps women overcome

the stories that are holding them back so they can become confident and courageous leaders who impact the world.

For more information, visit: www.sprouthr.co, or find Ashley on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.