Leading with Trust: Strategies for Cultivating Authentic Connections that Last, by Jonathan H. Westover PhD

Abstract: This article discusses research-backed strategies for leaders to authentically generate and maintain organizational trust. It explores how trust is defined as the willingness to ascribe good intentions to others and have confidence in their words and actions. Studies show trust in leadership positively correlates with important work outcomes like job satisfaction, commitment, and performance. The article outlines approaches leaders can take to build trust, including demonstrating competence through expertise and reliability, communicating openly and honestly while sharing both positive and negative information, displaying care and concern for employees, distributing appropriate authority and decision-making, and rewarding risk-taking and accepting failures. When leaders employ these trust-building behaviors consistently, it empowers employees to contribute at higher levels. In turn, organizations benefit from increased motivation, innovation and resilience among intrinsically aligned teams.