When I was a boy, whenever my parent wants to go out; either balik kampung (going back to our hometown) or went out for quite a long time, my mother would remind me, "Take good care of our home. Make sure that you lock the door if you want to go out... bla bla..."- a standard version of a mother advice. She didn't said it to my brother because she knew (we knew) that my brother is not as ‘hommie’ as I am. Then the last thing she said to me is: “I trust you.”
Being a leader, it is important that your followers would someday as they follow your leading they will be able to say to you, ‘I trust you can lead us.’ When you hear those words come out from your followers, you know that they believe in you. Trust is not easy nor it hard to build; it took time and consistency, but to betray a trust it only took a second for it to crumble down.
John C. Maxwell said, “Some of the ways a leader can betray trust include: breaking promises, gossiping, withholding information, and being two-faced.” In his book Developing the Leaders Around You, he writes trust is built on many things:
Time. Take time to listen and give feedback on performance.Respect. Give someone respect and he will return it with trust.
Unconditional Positive Regard. Show acceptance of the person.
Sensitivity. Anticipate feelings and needs of the potential leader.
Touch. Give encouragement – handshake, high five, pat on the back.
People will not follow a leader they do not trust. You must initiate and take responsibility to create trust within your circle.
"Without trust, words become the hollow sound of a wooden gong. With trust, words become life itself." (Unknown, help me with this)
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