Trust is the bedrock of any successful relationship, and this holds especially true in the dynamic between leaders and their teams. Without trust, a leader's ability to inspire, motivate, and guide their people is severely compromised. Yet, building and maintaining trust can be a challenging task, requiring dedication, transparency, and consistency. In this article, we will explore the importance of trust in leadership, examine examples of leaders losing trust, and discuss strategies for earning it back.

The Importance of Trust in Leadership

Trust forms the foundation of effective leadership. When team members trust their leader, they are more likely to collaborate, communicate openly, and fully commit to the organization's goals. Trust fosters loyalty and enhances morale, leading to increased productivity and a more positive work environment.

However, trust is fragile and can be easily eroded by actions or behaviors that betray the expectations of followers. Leaders must be mindful of their words and actions, recognizing that every decision they make has the potential to either strengthen or weaken the bonds of trust with their team.

trust, team building, relationshipsNaphtali HoffApril 8, 2024trust, leaders, leadership, commitment, support, mistakes, errors, listening, active listeningComment

Before judging, pause and ask yourself this question

Oftentimes, we rush to judge others and we assume that people are in full control, and that they're just acting rude, loud, etc. anyway.

But let's remember that we've all had moments where we struggle!

We struggle with our emotional health.

We struggle with the people around us.
We struggle with our finances.
We struggle with our physical health.
We struggle with our circumstances.

We are constantly struggling! And because of this struggle we don't always have the optimum awareness and sense of how we should be interacting with other people.

How to Coach Your Team to Success

One of the biggest challenges for leaders is to create and maintain the proper conditions for worker engagement and productivity. We know that if we are to maintain high levels of workplace output and morale we need to ensure that our employees feel valued and challenged. We also recognize that if we want to be able to respond to, if not stay in front of, marketplace change we need to develop workers who are comfortable thinking independently and contributing to the collective brain trust.

Too many leaders and managers, however, fail to achieve this because they do not understand how to motivate today’s workers or how to empower them to think and act independently and more positively.

In generations past people would be told what they needed to do from their earliest years. Parents would instruct children on how to behave at home and teachers would demand student compliance in school. Failure to obey would result in corporal punishment or other heavy handed responses. In the workplace, employees would be given orders and were required to dutifully implement them if they wanted to hold their positions for any meaningful duration.

But times have changed. As younger workers make their way into the workplace, they expect to play by a different set of rules. They want to be given the freedom to experiment, a voice with which to weigh in at staff meetings and the ability to pursue what they view as meaningful, engaging work. Anything less they view as limiting, which spells dissatisfaction and, for the most part, underperformance (if not outside job seeking).

Delegate But Don't Abdicate

Leaders want to delegate so they can clear their desks and get more done.

But many make the mistake of punting away the work, or abdicating, and not offering those that are helping them the tools they need to succeed.

Learn how to empower and support your people to help ensure the success of your next delegation project.

18 Years Later, We Choose Life - Never Forget (9/11)

So hard to believe that it's been 18 (חי, chai) years.

It seems like it was just yesterday.

I was finishing prayers with my students in #Chicago when we were told to proceed to the gym for a special announcement.

I still remember who told me the news, what he said, and the facial expression he used.

How could I forget?

😨The sheer terror and confusion.
😨The loss and destruction.
😨The sense of powerlessness and emptiness.

Naphtali HoffSeptember 11, 2019Impactful Coaching & Consulting9/11, memory, life, help, support, communityComment

How to Find the Right Person and Train Them, Part II

Finding the right person to delegate to may not be enough. Often, that person – experienced or not – is going to need to learn new concepts and skills to do their job correctly and efficiently.

One of the first questions you want to ask is, “what do you need to learn in order to do this task properly?” Once s/he has responded, add whatever you feel may still be missing. At that point, work to determine how s/he is going to get the needed training.

How to Coach Your Team to Success

One of the biggest challenges for leaders is to create and maintain the proper conditions for worker engagement and productivity. We know that if we are to maintain high levels of workplace output and morale we need to ensure that our employees feel valued and challenged. We also recognize that if we want to be able to respond to, if not stay in front of, marketplace change we need to develop workers who are comfortable thinking independently and contributing to the collective brain trust.

Too many leaders and managers, however, fail to achieve this because they do not understand how to motivate today’s workers or how to empower them to think and act independently and more positively.

In generations past people would be told what they needed to do from their earliest years. Parents would instruct children on how to behave at home and teachers would demand student compliance in school. Failure to obey would result in corporal punishment or other heavy handed responses. In the workplace, employees would be given orders and were required to dutifully implement them if they wanted to hold their positions for any meaningful duration.

But times have changed. As younger workers make their way into the workplace, they expect to play by a different set of rules. They want to be given the freedom to experiment, a voice with which to weigh in at staff meetings and the ability to pursue what they view as meaningful, engaging work. Anything less they view as limiting, which spells dissatisfaction and, for the most part, underperformance (if not outside job seeking).

How to Help Yourself When You’re Helping Others

A colleague of mine recently attended an educational conference. She met a teacher during a session about working with students who have experienced trauma. The teacher said that she knew how to help traumatized students but asked wonderingly, “How do I help me? You have to get into their lives in order to teach them. And their trauma is deep. It stays with you. So, here’s my question: After I go over the line to help them, who pulls me back?”

Sadly, traumatic situations do not only affect students and their teachers. Many working professionals have also experienced workplace trauma, which can be categorized as follows: (1) stressful events (death, grief, suicide, accident or injury), (2) organizational stressors (bullying, threats, harassment, betrayal, maliciousness, extreme isolation, chronic pressure, toxic work environment, uncertainty, fear for the future, downsizing or fear of unemployment), (3) physical stressors (noise, chaotic environment, sense of no control over space, fear for physical safety, harsh or flashing lights, extremes of heat or cold, working amid construction) and (4) external threats (evacuation, lockdown, fire or robbery).

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