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Clearly, what we are communicates more effectively than anything we say
or do. People see the world as they are conditioned to see it, not as it is
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but as who they are. Their perceptions are their realities. That is why it is so
imperative that we try to see ourselves as others see us, not just as we see

ourselves. Is our behavior communicating a sense of trust and respect to
others, or is a negative attitude on our part reflected in our behavior that
we are demonstrating to those around us.

Building trust in the organization generally requires an environment of
openness, encouraging the voicing of dissent. People need to feel that they

are unlikely to be punished, and may well be rewarded, for disagreeing, for
taking innovative risks, and for occasionally failing. People want to know
that their leader will support them and provide them with what they need
to achieve the desired outcomes.

Stephen Covey defines a “High Trust Leader” as an individual who has
unquestionably strong personal credibility, has the ability to create and
grow trust with others, and who is then able to extend that trust into the
organization itself. High Trust Leaders are those in management roles who
understand the impact trust always plays on two key outcomes: how
quickly work gets done and at what cost. Additionally, low levels of trust
reduce the effectiveness of the organization and high levels are likely to

improve the delivery of the organization’s services and products.
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In summary, a trusted leader must demonstrate a behavior of being willing
to trust, especially trusting those who have earned it. Expanding this
willingness is clearly a function of one’s attitude. This includes extending

trust conditionally to those who are just beginning to earn your trust. An
effective leader needs to learn how to appropriately extend trust to others
based on the situation, risk, and character/competence of the people
involved. If you want to be trusted, you have to be trustworthy. A risk is
always involved with trust, but without the risk there is no reward that
comes from trust.

74 Stephen R. Covey. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.
p. 21.
75 http://www.missionfacilitators.com/Articles/Executive%20Coaching/Tools/13%20Behaviors%20Handout
%20about%20Trust.pdf.

David Kolzow 63