When people feel safe at work, wonderful things happen: innovation, experimentation, growth. The workplace becomes a space to share and express the learning experience.
Your team is:
- Confident in their own expertise
- Bold in decisions
- Recognizes the trust in themselves and others
Sometimes, in order to get there, people face un-learning years of toxic culture in previous positions. They need a new understanding that they are in a place of psychological safety; good leaders must release that fear and help their team get excited about showing off and being honest.
They do this by building trust, lots and lots of trust. Define what trust looks like to you and then equate it to action. Start leading in your new understanding. Do things “that way.”
What does that trust look like?
- Honesty
- Respectful of ideas, opinions, and experts
- Permission to partner autonomously, without leadership as the middleman
And when you catch someone you trust holding back, not offering an opinion and minimizing their star-power, help them along by asking this simple question: “What does your expert brain tell you?” Now that they have permission to give an opinion, no matter how bold, their answers might surprise (and delight) you.
How have you personally had to unlearn your trust issues due to bad bosses or fear-based leadership? Connect and let us know. We’d love to hear your story.
Nurture a talent strategy that grows a team who can deliver on any business promise, vision, or innovation and strengthens the leadership pipeline because challenges and change are inevitable, but together we can rise to the occasion. Discover how.