12 Behaviours of Leaders Who Inspire Trust

I would like to share with you 12 common behaviours of trusted leaders around the world which build and maintain trust. When you adopt these ways of behaving, it's like making deposits into a "trust account" of another party.

1. Listen first
2. Talk straight
3. Demonstrate respect
4. Create transparency
5. Right any wrongs
6. Show loyalty
7. Deliver results
8. Improve
9. Confront reality
10. Clarify expectation
11. Practice accountability
12. Keep commitments

Remember that these 12 behaviours always need to be balanced by each other (e.g., Talk straight needs to be balanced by Demonstrate respect) and that any behaviour pushed to the extreme can actually then become a weakness.

The job of a leader is to go first, and to extend trust first. This should not be a blind trust without expectations and accountability, but rather a "smart trust" with clear expectations and strong accountability built into the process. The best leaders always lead out with a decided propensity to trust, as opposed to a propensity not to trust. As Craig Weatherup, former CEO of PepsiCo said, "Trust cannot become a performance multiplier unless the leader is prepared to go first."

The best leaders recognize that trust impacts us 24/7, and 365 days a year. It underpins and affects the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture, every effort in which we are engaged. It changes the quality of every present moment and alters the direction and outcome of every future moment of our lives -- both personally and professionally. Will you inspire someone’s trust in you today?