Five Keys for Leaders to Maintain a High Level of Trust During a Crisis.
Trust is a vital requirement in any leadership activity. However, the coronavirus pandemic has challenged this factor to historic levels. We are facing conditions that are life-threatening, uncertainty-filled, and rapidly changing. Under these frightening circumstances, the trust in our leaders has become the indispensable factor.
This is a totally new situation and we have little or no guidelines from the past. We have urgent questions that need to be answered: "When will the number of cases peak? Will the health system be able to cope? When will there be a diagnostic test, an antibody test, a therapy, a vaccine? When will things return to normal? The common answer from the experts is: "We don't know. We haven't seen this before. We're in learning mode." Meanwhile, during the present quarantine, a large number of people have lost their source of livelihood and want a rapid opening of the economy. We are going through a delicate balance between safety and financial security.
A loss of confidence in our leaders in the midst of this crisis would have devastating consequences. This raises the question: What are the essential elements of trust?
William Pietersen, Professor of Management Practice at the University of Colombia, hired by a well-known company, conducted a research on the issue of trust; he determined that, trust is a complex field with nuanced answers. At the end of this research, Pietersen presented his results summarized in a set of concrete and measurable factors, which he condensed into five key pillars of trust.
The research revealed that we trust a leader if we believe that the following five elements are certain about them:
A leader recognizes the needs of others
Leadership is not about power; it is about service. The first task of a leader is to be attuned to the needs and expectations of his or her followers.
When Nelson Mandela was released from prison and elected president in South Africa, he faced the prospect of racial conflict born of years of resentment. However, against all odds, he achieved a peaceful transition to a representative democracy. He offered the black community the opportunity to participate as equal citizens, but at the same time recognized that the white population feared facing a radical change from being the oppressors to becoming the oppressed. Acting on this vision, Mandela took steps to demonstrate his genuine love for all the citizens of South Africa and his determination to create a 'rainbow nation’.
His most dramatic action, seen by millions on television, was his enthusiastic support for the almost exclusively white South African rugby team when it won the World Cup in 1995. It was a very unifying moment. Mandela saw that "the struggle was not so much to free blacks from slavery, but to free whites from fear".
A leader possesses the skills to solve problems
Empathy alone is not enough. Leaders must have the capacity to act accordingly. They must demonstrate high competence.
Today's pandemic requires the mastery of a special kind of competence: adaptive planning for rapid events fraught with risk and uncertainty. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in addition to being president of the United States was also a military general, once said, "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is everything". In dynamic conditions, it is the planning process that matters above all else. This requires a system of constant evaluation and re-evaluation based on a courageous and fact-based analysis of emerging realities.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo provides daily briefings on the coronavirus, showing trends, explaining what it means, defining learning and describing what should be done, when and by whom. Surveys show that New Yorkers feel their fate is in capable hands. In our country, daily conferences are held on the progress and situation of the epidemic in Mexico, the population feels more secure and, regardless of socio-political polarities, most people are trusting their leaders.
In a crisis, it is a mistake to try to function only as the saving leader. People support what they help build. Fortunately, we are increasingly hearing from leaders who are calling on their workers to participate in creating solutions that will improve the working environment. As a result, teams and companies show great creative strength.
A leader ensures collective success
Effective leaders are selfless, always putting the interests of their followers above their own. Motivation is crucial in matters of trust, and people feel betrayed when they see a leader pursuing selfish goals. It is in our actions that we reveal our true intentions. This phrase from the philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, "You speak so loudly that I cannot understand what you are saying," is apt to paraphrase this type of leadership.
Many leaders and people in management positions focus on themselves. One way to determine the type of leadership that reigns in a company is to look at the way the manager addresses his or her audience. As an example, a self-centred leader will ask the question "How am I doing? This phrase or question focuses on the subject's performance, not on the feelings of his audience or followers. Instead, he or she may first inquire about the state of the people or the situation, i.e., the question indicated would be "How are you doing" or "How does the situation look" and listen carefully to the answers, assess the needs, set priorities and take action.
Muchos líderes y personajes con puestos de dirección se centran en sí mismos. Una manera de determinar el tipo de liderazgo que reina en una empresa es, observar la manera en que el directivo se dirige a su público. Como ejemplo, un líder centrado en sí mismo, elaborará la pregunta "¿Cómo lo estoy haciendo?" . Esta frase o pregunta se centra en la actuación del sujeto, no aborda el sentir de su público o de sus seguidores. En cambio, puede primero informarse acerca del estado de las personas o de la situación, es decir, la pregunta indicada sería "¿Cómo te va?" o “¿Cómo pinta la situación?” y escuchar atentamente las respuestas, evaluar las necesidades, establecer prioridades y tomar acción.
A leader keeps its promises
Strength is the core of effective leadership. Good leaders keep their promises, big and small, because if we break our small promises, they will not believe us when we make bigger ones.
Promises should be made with care, not boasting. How many times do we hear political party leaders, executives and people in leadership roles make promises about a problem that they do not know about, that they have not evaluated, and that they do not know the causes of the phenomenon, much less the consequences that would result, depending on whether they make an 'X or Y' decision.
Pietersen, tells about his experience as a CEO and his learning in this position. He concludes that communicating risks in advance is the best way forward despite the dangers of destabilizing the team, or the business. Because risks are rarely kept secret and end up surfacing anyway. In addition, it is often the case that rumours produce a deviant version of the truth. So, by the time the truth bomb explodes, and the moment arrives to let people know the details, it is too late, because mistrust has already set in.
But what promises could be offered? The best thing is to act ethically and face reality without making it up. Talk about the difficulties to be dealt with but emphasize the firm purpose of seeking solutions or mitigating problematic situations. Of course, this is difficult, no one likes to appear as a weak or hesitant leader, but in the end, followers will appreciate the sincerity and analysis of risks and difficulties. At the end of the day, employees will understand the logic and appreciate the promises that emerge from this analysis. It is true that fears, doubts or uncertainty may not be dispelled from the picture, but the followers of this honest leader will feel understood and supported, i.e. the leader will have built a solid bridge of trust.
In the end, the result may not be perfect, but the employees will have seen that the leader has done everything possible as promised. The resulting goodwill is very rewarding, and the employees will share the positive feeling that prevailed in the beginning when the promise was made.
A leader reveals the truth
To tell the truth is to have faith in your people. Leaders sometimes think they can handle bad news, but the people underneath them cannot. This assumption is not only arrogant, it is false. Character and strength are not tasks of rank. People can usually handle unpleasant truths, but they have difficulty in dealing with the retention of truth.
The golden rule, particularly in times of crisis, is to tell the truth without embellishment - without sugar coating and with clear and frank language. Here I cite the example of Mexico's Undersecretary of Health, MD. Lopez Gatell, who has spoken of the seriousness of the situation in the country. In his daily briefings, he always emphasizes data and statistics, whether good, bad or unexpected. After stating the facts, only then does he talk about the decisions that must be followed.
It is necessary to avoid the prejudice of confirmation and the deception of preconceived ideas. It is easy to deceive by omission. Choose favourable data and omit or downplay negative information, which distorts the truth and diverts attention. This can undermine the ability of citizens to successfully manage their personal lives through the crisis.
Leaders must have the courage to make difficult decisions in the face of uncertainty. The pandemic moves quickly, and realities change daily. It is essential to adjust quickly to changing circumstances. Making the wrong decisions can cost lives, but delay can be even more costly.
Mistakes are inevitable. But it is important that leaders have the modesty to admit their mistakes. Denmark seems to be handling the pandemic with relative success. One reason is cultural. Citizens trust their government. When Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen set the tone, she said: "This is a new situation for all of us. Will I make mistakes? Definitely! Will you? Yes, you will too. But we must listen and learn from each other."
This is where the lesson lies. Admitting mistakes presents an opportunity to learn from them. Burying the mistakes or denying responsibility destroys that opportunity. The goal is to ensure that the value of learning is greater than the cost of the mistake. That is what progress is all about.
Honesty and trust - these are qualities that go hand in hand. By striving to be honest in the face of adversity, we strengthen the bonds that help us overcome the crisis together.
A good leader is not always born, but often made!
Editor Norma Elizabeth Rojas
Founder and active coach at coach-me.life
Text based on the article published by Colombia University, Management Faculty and published by Professor of Management Practice, William Pietersen.
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