“There is no substitute for character. You can buy brains, but you cannot buy character.” -Robert A. Cook
The foundation of leadership is trust. I am blessed to be leading over 80 people in my organization, and the only way I can do that effectively is by always being aware that the trust they have in me is a great responsibility. The people I lead trust me with their safety, their jobs, their personal growth, and if I do something to break the trust, it can have a huge effect on the culture of our organization.
I personally have felt the impact of losing their trust when I placed someone in a high position of leadership that was not equipped for the role and authority given to them. The trust I have built over the past decades gave the new leader initial credibility to have an opportunity to make a difference with the team, however the leader in question lacked the character to follow through with his actions. This leader came into our organization after a thorough interview process and with a clear focus on what our values and goals were for them. I really believed they were the answer to my issues at the time. They were to come in and implement training, coaching and development for my team. What happened was the opposite of my intent.
Instead of taking the time to develop the trust and the relationships needed to implement change, this leader operated under the assumption that because of their title, any changes that were rolled out would be followed through without falter. The trust that was given at the beginning of their entry into our organization was quickly depleted as they were unable to gain traction and bond with the team. This of course flowed upwards to me as the leader and guardian of culture with my team. I began to become aware of discord in the team, and the energy I felt when walking through my locations felt off. I am very conscious of the dynamic force that occurs when you have a team working in sync and with certainty.
It was a candid discussion with one of my inner circle people that really brought to light the issues with the new leader. I had been unconsciously aware, but choosing to continue to have faith in the individual’s ability due to my nature. I believe the best of people, and really avoid confrontations. My least favorite thing to do is to transition people out of the organization, and I struggle with this each time I need to make the decision that despite the training and coaching we have invested, it is time for us to make the hard choice. As the leader it is my job to ensure that the people I place in positions of authority live and exemplify the values we stand for. This rises and falls on character, and I remind myself daily of the responsibility I have to those I am working with and leading to walk the talk and live with full awareness of the trust that they place in me.
“Character makes trust possible. Trust makes leadership possible.” – John Maxwell